Selcouth
by Ethereal Wanderer
Summary: She is a complete klutz, a clueless young woman that survived the crash of the stations. He is a banished prince seeking a way home. Both are curious and intrigued by the world the other comes from. Short Roan x OC story.M! Rating for later chapters, 'cause Roan's just asking for it. [Selcouth (adj.) unfamiliar, rare, strange, and yet marvelous]
1. Purple Lakes

So, this came to mind the second Roan's face appeared on screen. I squealed like a little schoolgirl; Captain Charles Vane on The 100!

Anyways, It was supposed to be a one shot, but I split it. It's still not gonna be long, maybe a 5 shot?

 **Disclaimer:** I, obviously, own nothing from The 100.

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~ The darker the night, the brighter the stars. ~

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Vivian just wanted some time alone. Away from all the ruckus in camp, from all the panic and worry, from the whispers of grounders and mountain men – whatever the hell those were. They were told to stay put until remaining Council members figured what their next move should be. But she wanted to explore the ground; she deserved it! After all, she just survived crash landing to Earth on one of the stations. She needed a break from rules and prohibitions.

She was not stupid, she realized it was dangerous for her to wander aimlessly trough the forest. She gathered it was something that was supposed to scare her half to death. But it was just so breathtaking, so full of color and life. Everything on the Ark was some different shade of gray or some other washed up color, worn from the countless years of usage. She'd never seen a shade so green like the leaves and the grass, nor had she ever dreamt of ever being able to witness it.

It was surreal.

She felt like the heroin in one of the novels she spent most of her days on the Ark reading. It was her adventure! Her time to finally start living. She was not going to waste another minute following someone else's orders, especially since no one really knew what they were doing or who they were up against. She was unaware of the cool pair of eyes following her though the foliage.

He watched her as she trampled all over the forest and came to one conclusion: the sky people were a loud bunch; they'd be dead before the next full moon. But it was nice seeing them eye every rock and leaf with such awe, like they held some curious answers to long forgotten questions.

But this girl was particularly interesting. Humming a song he didn't know, she was touching everything she passed by: tree trunks, leaves, flowers, dirt. Her hair was cut randomly in front, covering her forehead and he couldn't help but wonder if it meant something, if it was that way for any peculiar reason or just for show. It marveled him how she could be so unaware of his presence; he was almost breathing down her neck. He could extent one arm, blade in hand, and slice her pretty head right off her shoulders. But all she did was jump around with glee at passing butterflies. What was wrong with her? Did she have a death wish?

But she was not his problem, so he turned the way he came. Roan had what he came for: information – the sky people were definitely not a threat; they were likely to get themselves killed during the month. Even if some survived, with their numbers diminished they stood no chance against the Commander's armies. He came to a halt when he considered the direction the girl was heading: the lake. She was no that stupid, was she?

At the edge of the forest Vivian was marveling at the way the sun caught on the surface of the water, her mouth agape. It was beautiful, a vibrant shade of blue – almost purple. It was shining like billions of tiny diamonds and glistering like nothing she'd ever seen before. She only wished she knew how to swim; she'd dive right in. Instead she picked a rock and threw it in the water. It made ripples and she giggled like the silly girl she was, watching the surface of the lake settle. She couched to touch the liquid and was brutally pulled back, pain striking in her left shoulder.

Air caught in her lungs as she hit the hard ground. Her head hurt, but she didn't feel any blood when she massaged the spot that hit the rocks. Panic came only after she made sure she wasn't too hurt. Her eyes fell on the man before her. The first thing she noticed about him was all the dirt. If he wanted to bathe first he was her guest. The next thing she thought was he probably was the big bad wolf from stories and she should make a run for it. Not that she thought she could outrun him, or anyone else for that matter, but complacently lying there, waiting to get killed didn't sound so good either.

Roan almost growled at her. She was apparently very stupid. Didn't she know water was not supposed to look like that? He tore a branch off a nearby shrub and internally smiled when she jumped back a little at his sudden movement. She was scared of him. Good, she wasn't entirely witless. He lowered the branch in the water and it sizzled after a moment. When he pulled it out, the end that submerged was completely gone, melted in the poison. The girl's face was priceless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish's. Whatever. He threw the branch to the side and made his way to leave. He had better things to do than watch over this ridiculous girl.

"Ah, thank you."

She cursed herself the second she uttered the words. He was leaving. Why risk him coming back? Because he saved her when he had no reason to, when he had no clue who she was and owed her nothing. She saw him turn his head and look at her for a moment. She was surprised when he gave her a curt nod before entering the tree line and disappearing from her sight. So he understood the language. That, or he just assumed she thanked him. That was the _civil_ thing to do, after all. He looked anything but civil, though.

Vivian stood on the beach for a few more minutes. The forest scared her a little now. It should have done that from the start, she realized that a little too late. But her friend was going to organize an entire search party is she didn't back soon. She brushed her bangs into place and dusted herself before entering the forest and making her way back to camp.

It took her longer than she expected, but every damn tree looked the same. She was sure she wouldn't have found it if the noise didn't sound so loud and clear. People were shouting orders, so she just followed the voices. Sneaking in the same way she got out, tough a small gap in a wall, Vivian saw her people roaming around, carrying guns with them. She sighed loudly. Her hope that things would change once they got on the ground diminished with every passing guard. Nothing was going to change; things were to stay as they'd been on the Ark, especially if Kane became Chancellor.

"Hey, Vi. Where the hell were you?"

"Around." Her sister from another mister came and latched her arm around hers.

"Ever the cryptic, I see. Come. I took a room for us to share."

Vivian and Chloe had been friends for longer than she could remember, both orphaned young, parents floated for reasons no one really remembered. The girls hated life on the Ark. When word came out about the 100 and their survival on the ground, they were ecstatic. Now, it seemed it had been for naught: armed guards still threatened the outspoken, orders were still barked by men in power and it was still expected of them to obey as the brainless sheep they were. Vivian guessed they deserved their fate, to some degree. She wondered if the grounders were the same, if they had some kind of system for ruling, if they had order and laws?

"Want to tell me where your head's at?" Her eyes lifted to her friend. Concern was evident on her angelic features. Should she tell her about the man? There was no reason not to, but she didn't want her to get mad that she hadn't taken her along. Though she would have been madder at he part where water almost killed her. So Vivian spoke of the next thing on her mind.

"It just feels like were still on the Ark…"

"I know… Maybe it'll get better. I heard Abby went against Kane."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, her daughter is missing along with the remaining delinquents and she sent the Blake boy and some others to search for them. Against Kane's wishes." Neither girl liked Clarke. Not because she had been privileged in any way. Her father had been floated and she was imprisoned even if her parents had been good friends with the Chancellor. But she had that stuck up bitch face. Vivian remembered her at a party once ruining everyone's fun by calling the guards. Apparently there had been too many drinks or something. Bitch!

Still, Abby seemed like a more reasonable leader. Not the best, but at least they weren't facing punishment by death with her in charge.

"Do they know what happened to Clarke and the others?"

"Where were you? How come you didn't hear any of this?" Chloe narrowed her eyes as if it allowed her access in her friend's mind. "Ugh, no matter. They were attacked by grounders. Can you believe it? We've been suffering up there while life was possible down here. You'd think they'd monitor Earth better…"

"Attacked?"

"Yes. There was some feud with the people here. They don't know much… But scary, isn't it? These _grounders_ sound so savage and merciless."

"Savage, yeah." Vivian couldn't help but think of the man that saved her. And while he was clearly no gentleman, savage was not a word she'd use to describe him either. Sure, he was covered in mud and he pushed her rather forcefully, bruises already forming on her tender skin. But he _did_ save her worthless life and demanded nothing in return. Was he part of some other group? Had the dispute settle once the remaining 100 were taken, thus leaving no quarrel with the new arrivals? There was always the possibility that he was just a nice person. As her people varied in levels of goodness, the same levels were to be applied to all people, no matter how _savage_.

She fell asleep replaying the day's adventures in her head. From the _bumpy_ ride to Earth, to her near 'death by melting in a lake' experience and being saved by her _dashing_ hero, Vivian thought it had been a good day. She was alive, despite the countless dangers that seemed to lurk at every corner. Excited to find out what tomorrow brought, she fell in a dreamless sleep.

On the other side of the forest, Roan was angry. What spirit had messed with his mind to save the damn girl? She was the enemy! She was an invader; her people killed the Commander's own with giant balls of fire from the skies. The only reason to pull her out of harm's way should have been to end her life with his own two hands. And while she did no harm to him directly, there was no sane motive to show her kindness. He was not kind, he was a killer! He was the heir of the ice nation, banished or not! His plans should concentrate on restoring what he lost, not taking care of air-headed girls.

He let out an exasperated breath. All the time away from his people was wearing him off. He misses being around his men, fighting along them, training with them. That didn't really explain why he saved the damn sky girl, but he brushed any thought of her away. She was meaningless; she was going to get herself killed come morning. If she hadn't already done just that. Most likely she hadn't even made her way back to her little camp.

Stupid sky people!

They had no idea what they got themselves into. Between the Commander, the mountain men and Mother Nature, they were already dead men. They should have remained up there! The ground was no place for weaklings.

As he laid his head down on the makeshift cot, he stared at the cave's ceiling. His anger had been replaced by curiosity. What had made the sky people leave the safety of the stars? The dangers up there couldn't have been as bad as the ones down on the ground; their lack of strength showed that they were not used to hardship. The idea of asking the brown eyed girl crossed his mind and he almost laughed out loud.

How could one ask anything of the dead?

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I think he might be a little OOC... is he?

Let me know what you think *kisses*


	2. Red Roots

_Hope you enjoy!_

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~ She was an angel craving chaos; he was a demon seeking peace. ~

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His vision cleared for a moment, allowing Roan to observe the woman better. She was, again, wandering the forest, apparently without a destination in mind. The mop of dark hair was pulled up, away from her face, making the pale skin stand out against the greens and browns around her. She still regarded everything with curiosity, but alas, seemed more reserved about touching and smelling every flower. He was surprised she was still drawing breath after weeks on the ground

It was funny how he was going to die before the silly sky girl.

Roan's sight got blurry and the forest spun with him, earth running from beneath his feet. He knew it was all in his head, knew it was the poison making him weak, unable to save himself, but he still had to grip the nearest tree for support. His breathing became labored and every mouthful of air was harder to inhale than the last. It wouldn't be long before the real pain started. If only he could reach that ditch over there. His legs went numb and he had to place one knee on the ground to steady himself.

"You don't look very good." Perceptive little thing, wasn't she. She was there to gloat over his dying body, laugh at him for his stupid mistake. It wasn't truly a mistake; more of a risk he thought, at that precise moment, would be worth the trouble. He should have suspected at least that more of the Commander's people were near. His plan to steal their weapons and food backfired rapidly when a poisoned dart connected with his neck. Without the poison at play, he wouldn't have had trouble dealing with the men; he had been, perhaps, too confident. Well, at least he didn't go down without a fight, having left the lifeless bodies behind, robbing them of food, weapons and a new pack full of other things he deemed useful.

Much good they would do him once he was dead…

Vivian was having a wonderful day. Things in camp were still strange, the tension between Abby and Kane almost palpable. But the ground was great. The fresh air was amazing, there were new things to discover at every corner, flowers, birds, waterfalls. If you got passed the grounders and mountain men that were trying to kill them for whatever reason, the ground was paradise. It was still scary, sure, but in a good way. Exhilarating, thrilling. Like nothing she could have dreamt of.

Besides, she was convinced not all grounders were blood thirsty savages as some people in camp believed. The Blake girl seemed to share her beliefs. The people from Mount Weather were also a bit of a mystery – enemies, not enemies, no one really knew. They seemed civilized and willing to help. Who knew, maybe there would be peace, alliances. After all, no one wanted to spill blood, right?

Even if she secretly hoped to meet the valiant grounder that saver her again, Vivian wasn't really thinking she'd see him so soon. Especially after so much time passed without there being a single glimpse of him. And she definitely hadn't expected to see him feverish and pale as a ghost. He looked like he was dying. But what could she do? She had no medical expertise, nor had the slightest idea what was the cause of his predicament. Poison? Was he hurt anywhere, loosing blood? Was it some disease specific to the ground? Did it have a cure?

She was weary of him still. She wanted to believe he was a good person, but all the talk in camp was making her at least question him and his motives. But the pain looked real, sweat rolling down his forehead, his labored breaths sounding loud in her ears. She took a step closer, then another, finally kneeling besides him when he did nothing to stop her or even acknowledge her presence.

"Tell me what to do." She hoped he was still conscious. If he weren't she was at a loss; there was no way she could carry him to camp, assuming the guards would even let her approach the gates with him, and she couldn't see any other way she could help. When he opened his eye and focused them on her she let out a relieved sigh. If he weren't looking as a dead man, her gaze would have lingered to admire his cool blue eyes.

He almost scoffed, but the air caught in his lungs. He fixed his eyes on her, taking in her appearance. Concern was written all over her features and he wished he had the strength to punch it off her pretty face. He did not need her pity, nor her help. What could she possible do anyway? She was just a little girl that had the misfortune to fall from her home in the sky.

Roan closed his eyes again, concentrating on his breaths. In and out, steadily. Pain was creeping in his body, the feeling like muscles being ripped right off his bones. But it was all in his head, he was aware. The knowledge did little to stop the pain. He felt the girl's hands poking and prodding at him, first unsure, slightly trembling, then with more conviction. It was annoying; made him thing of scavenging animals feasting on his body after he died.

"Stop it!" His hand found a surge of power and gripped her wrist away from his neck. He gave her a little credit for actually discovering the cause of his current state. She didn't pull away, only hardened her gaze.

"Oh, so you do talk. Why won't you tell me how I can help?"

"Why would you help me, girl?" She was taken aback by his harsh tone, looking almost hurt by the words.

"You saved me, it's only natural I'd help." What was natural about that? He had a particular strange day, a weak moment, when he strayed from his path to prevent her death. It had been a lapse of judgment, nothing more. He had thought about separating her head from her body that day, he had pictured her dark hair wet with blood. If she knew, she wouldn't be so eager to help, wouldn't kneel so close to him, so vulnerable. He could still end her insignificant life if he put his mind to it, but was she really worth the trouble? She pulled her hand free from his and rubbed the wrist, making him push the thought away. "Look, I can't do much, I know that. But if there's _anything_ you can think about that might help you, tell me!" She paused and punched his chest lightly. It was more of a pat, really. "It beats dying in the middle of nowhere, doesn't it?"

She had a point. He still had things to do. He had to go back to his people, had to get the banishment lifted. His fight was far from over. But could she get what he needed? What did he need? His mind was foggy from the poison; it drained him of his strength, of his will to resist it. Slender fingers brushed his damp hair from his face making him focus again. The girl was waiting for guidance. Roan vaguely remembered of the cure for this peculiar poison, but his thoughts kept swirling in his head.

First things first, he needed a place to hide from the fog, if he had the misfortune of it coming. He got up with great strain, despite the eager hands that pulled on his arm to help him. The girl barely had any strength. He marveled again at how she was still alive. One foot in front of the other, one had draped over the girl's shoulders, he led them to the ruins of some forgotten structure - a roof barely hanging on 3 and quarter walls. If he kicked them, the whole thing would probably fall on top of them. But, whatever his outcome was going to be, he was not going to stay there long. He laid down on the cool ground, desperately trying to remember where to send the girl. He could envision a red plant, no, roots. But where? She brushed her fingers over the small puncture wound on his neck and he remembered her walking right past the place she needed to find.

"There's a ditch to the south, you passed by it on your way here." He looked at her and she nodded in confirmation, though her expression was a bit off. He didn't waste time to figure it out. "Along it, there should be holes in the ground. Some have these brown-red roots. Bring me a handful." She was on her feet when he finished speaking, already gone by the time he got the feeling there was more he was supposed to tell her.

Vivian ran as fast as her legs allowed her. She was only hopping it was the right direction. She would have thought the man was mocking her when he told her to go south; how was she supposed to know where south was? Would have, if his condition didn't seem to worsen with every breath he took, the veins around his neck wound becoming prominent. He was putting a tough front, but pain was obviously eating at him. So she went in the general direction she thought her camp was. She remembered walking past a ditch and she thought there were indeed holes in it. She set a few landmarks so she could find her way back to the grounder: a fallen tree, a strange looking boulder, something that looked like rusting metal sticking from the ground. She almost fell head first when the ground disappeared from beneath her feet. Vivian stopped abruptly and stumbled down the ditch instead.

"Great…" She grumbled as she picked herself up. At least it wasn't too deep, barely her height. She didn't take time to inspect the small craters, just plunging her hand into one and feeling around for roots. Nothing. She moved to the closest and repeated the action. Squealing in delight when her fingers reached something, she pulled with all her strength and a root came out. It was an odd color, like dried out blood.

Now, how much was a handful? Her hands were significantly smaller than his, so maybe gather two handfuls? Was if wise to waste time on this? Should she just take the first batch to him and come back for more? She moved to another hole and found two more in it. Jackpot! It was not going to take long. When she stuck her arm in the next one and pulled on the root, something grabbed her. No, something plucked her skin and pulled on it. The shriek that came out of her mouth scared whatever creature had clawed at her arm. Vivian bit back the tears as she turned her arm over to see the damage. Blood was dripping from three long slashes that extended from elbow to wrist, but they were skin deep. It didn't hurt so horribly bad, but her heart still threatened to fail her. She remembered reading about underground animals like moles, but it never said they were dangerous. At least she had the root, her fingers instinctively tightening around it when she pulled her arm out.

Cursing the grounder for not warning her that the stupid holes were inhabited, she quickly made her way back. She hoped she was not too late and that she had the right roots. As she ran, a few tears spilled down her cheeks. It was occurring to her she had no idea what she was doing. Alone in a freaky forest, aiding a man who, from all she knew, was plotting to eat her for supper. Well, the possibility of that was low, but it was, nevertheless, a possibility.

Roan heard the scream even in his dazzled state. He thought he was a goner, the girl bringing him the roots, dead. How the mighty had fallen! There he was, once heir to a nation, dying, _alone_ , his life in the hands of a foolish girl that didn't know danger if it hit her in the face. The rustling outside made him turn his head towards the collapsed wall. When the sky girl came running through the gap, he sighed in relief, the corners of his mouth turning upwards just slightly. She pushed several roots in his hand and he eyed them strangely. Hadn't he told her to fetch him _one_? He picked the biggest and started chewing on it, despite the pull of sleep. He had only that task to complete, then he could rest. He looked her over and noticed the blood on her arm and the tears in her eyes, but didn't have the strength to question her. He swallowed the last bite and let himself drift. At some point he thought he heard the girl fussing over his body, but it did little to disturb his sleep.

When he woke up, his head was placed on something soft and a blanket covered his body. He shook his head, cursing the sky girl and her useless gesture. He noted a bag besides him and found a water-skin and a chunk of roasted meat. He cursed the girl for leaving food near his unconscious body. Wild animals could have traced the smell and attacked him in his sleep. He ate it nevertheless, finishing the water with one long gulp.

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So, I pictured the first chapters with him saving her, but I thought I should make her help him once - give him a real reason... not to hate on her?

I don't know, this chapter came to be on the spur of the moment. Let me know how if you liked it. *hugs*


	3. Gray Walls

_Extended note:_ If you like Roan, and you do since you're here, check out the TV show Black Sails! Zach McGowan [ the actor playing Roan ] is the infamous Pirate Captain Charles Vane in the show! He's a main character there and kicks ass big time. Not convinced? He walks around naked at some point. *wink*

The show is pretty cool on itself too. There was a comment on it [ not mine ] that went something like this: 'I watched Black Sails the first time for the testosterone, the second for the dialogue.' [ it also has the extremely hot, extremely mucle-y Billy Bones ( played by Tom Hopper) the charming John Silver and _the_ Captain Flint]

OK, enough commercial :))

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~ No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart! ~

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It took her four days to find another way out of camp. After she brought the grounder some food and a blanket she had to go to medical to get the cuts cleaned and bandaged. Abby was not stupid, so eventually she had to admit on going outside camp. Vivian kept the information about the grounder lurking nearby to herself, though. No need to panic everyone.

After the gap in the wall had been sealed and she received a good scolding for her apparent ignorance, not informing them about a potential breach, the weak spot in their defenses, Vivian was placed in kitchen duty. She hated it. It reminded her of the Ark, made her feel like the little orphan girl she really was. She wanted to explore the ground, to see new things, to spend her miserable live doing something she actually enjoyed. And she was dying to know if _he_ was alright.

Every second no one paid attention to her, she searched for a way out. Octavia disappeared from camp, so there was a gap somewhere; she just had to find it. She scanned the wall and found none; she tried climbing over, but didn't have the strength. She even watched for the changing of the guards, hoping to make a run for it through the front gates, but dismissed the thought. She didn't want to get shoot at. Plus, she was neither stealthy nor nearly fast enough to pull that off.

It dawned on her that she was extremely weak. Physically. Lounging around the Ark, reading books and helping around the Archives did not prepare her in the slightest for life on Earth. So, when Chloe came asking if she'll join the training program with her, Vivian jumped at the opportunity. Somehow, her friend always knew how to cheer her up, even if she didn't know she was feeling down to begin with. It was not much: some running and exercises along with a few defense techniques everyone knew were useless against a grounder. But it kept her mind busy and she enjoyed spending time with Chloe.

It bugged Vivian that she was keeping secrets from her and, when she couldn't take her consciousness nagging at her any longer, she told her about the grounder. Chloe listened carefully, never interrupting her speech, her blank expression revealing nothing. She was scared for a moment that her friend wasn't going to support her.

"You're mental, have I ever told you that? Do you actually _want_ to get yourself killed?"

"No, of course not. I just can't be cooped up _in here_ when there's a whole world _out there_. On the Ark there was nowhere to go. Here, the sky's the limit." She paused for a moment, looking Chloe in her pretty blue eyes. "Are you not curious at all? About the ground? About the people that survived here?"

"I am, but the knowledge is not worth my life. Or yours! So please, tell me this has nothing to do with that mysterious grounder!" Something on Vivian's surprised face spoke to her friend and the blonde girl lifted her arms up in annoyance. "I knew it! Damn it, girl, you know nothing about him. He could be luring you to his den to eat you for all you know."

"Wh-what are you talking about? It's not like that! He saved me from melting in that lake."

"Yes, he did. And now you think he's different from his friends that killed our people. You got it in that little head of yours that maybe, just maybe, he changed for you. Snap out of it! People don't change out of the blue. He was probably after something." Vivian knew her friend meant well. She understood she was warning her about the dangers she was willing to ignore. But under no circumstances had she thought he had changed his murderous ways for her; she thought that, perhaps, he was a decent enough person to begin with. There was a difference! The still nameless grounder was a mystery Vivian wanted to solve, but he was not the whole reason she wanted out of camp.

"I feel stuck in here. It's the Ark all over again."

"It's because we are stuck here, Vi. But only because it's dangerous out there."

"It's not that bad. It's quite beautiful, really."

"Yeah, like the sparkling lake that you almost died in?"

"Even that. If you don't go in the water, it's still a wonder to look at. And there were these bright orange flowers that turned lilac when I touched them. And oh, I found this giant tree. And ruins from before the radiation; they're all over the forest." She wanted to be out there so badly. Only four days cooped in camp and the air was already feeling stale, like on the Ark.

"I have no chance to get you to stay put, do I?"

"Not one."

"Fine."

"What's fine?"

"It's refreshing to see you so excited about something… so, I'll tell you how to get out."

"You know a way out of here?"

"Keep your voice down! Yes. It's actually trough the kitchen. I'm surprised you hadn't found it yet." Vivian pursed her lips. She spent so much of her time sulking in there that she didn't consider that the wall she hung the pans on, was in fact the wall surrounding camp. She fixed a metal panel that was coming off herself; she could take it down just as easily. She jumped off her bed and latched her arms around her friend."

"Oh, Thank you! It means the world to me you're not against me g-"

"Oh _, I am_ against you risking you life out there for nothing. But, if it makes you happy… You go, girl. Just make sure you come back too."

"I will, I promise." She got up and packed a few things: water, a small knife, some berries that Chloe brought and a jacket for when she would be between the trees again. She made her way to the kitchen; no one paid her any attention, she spent a lot of time there after all, as per her orders. She was careful to put the panel in place so no one could see the hole, but loose enough so she could sneak back in.

And, after four days of being trapped between metal walls, she was in the forest again.

Roan didn't know why he kept going back to the ruins. It was not like he expected the girl to be there, nor did he particularly wanted her to. He was not looking to thank her; she hadn't earned that, she had only repaid a debt. If anything, she still owed him for not killing her with every chance he got. And he most certainly wasn't planning to return her the things she left either; they were already stashed in his makeshift home. So why was he annoyed when he wouldn't find her there? Or anywhere in the forest actually. He had become accustomed to her roaming aimlessly trough the woods.

He blamed his interest on the lack of things to do. With nothing to trade for the lifting of his banishment, no one to spend his time with and no more kingdom to look forward to one day ruling, Roan was left with not much to do. He was too proud to seek his friends in the Ice Nation and he knew death awaited them if the queen found out. The sky girl was a distraction, something to occupy his time with, until he found his way back to his people.

Day after day, he would hunt, sleep, visit trading posts for information and think of ways to return home. But at some point, he would always find himself standing outside the falling structure where the sky girl brought him the curing roots He didn't even know her name, but he was still curious if she was still alive. Chances were she wasn't. Why else wouldn't she be exploring the forest with child-like wonder?

Four days after he had been poisoned, he made a decision not to go there anymore.

Vivian didn't know what she was expecting to find there. 'Noting' had been her first guess, but she was still disappointed when that was all there was. But it was a good sigh, wasn't it? No grounder corpse was lying around, so he must have gotten better and left. Right? Something could have eaten him, but then there would be blood. His fellow grounders could have found him and buried his body. There were hundreds of possibilities and no way on knowing if any of them were right.

Looking around the 'room', there was no sigh he was ever there. No bag, no blood thankfully, no piece of ripped cloth, no discarded food, nothing. She sighed a bit frustrated. Maybe she was going insane, maybe the air was not so radiation free, and she was delusional. She could have eaten something weird, like those small nuts everyone warned her about, and she was making him up inside her head. But that was just stupid. If he was a fiction of her mind her wrist wouldn't bear bruises from where he grabbed her.

She came back the next day, and the day after that and each time she was greeted by the same emptiness. She even went to the odd lake and spent some time there melting flowers and sticks. She was scared to go look for him too far. And there was really no reason to do so. He hadn't seem so particularly happy to see her that day, nor had he accepted her help without a second thought. Maybe he was just a wild, savage brute. With the manliest vice she'd ever heard.

Vivian though about leaving him a message. She even found precious a piece of paper and something to write on it with. But as the pen touched the pale fabric, she felt like an idiot. What was she going to write? 'Dear Mister Grounder, I've been coming back to this place like a mad woman. Where the hell are you? Are you even alive? Leave a sigh, if you please! Vivian.'

 _A sign!_ She could leave him a sign.

Roan didn't keep true to his decision. He kept away for a few days, but soon found his way back to the dilapidated building. He cursed himself for returning there when he saw it was empty and turned to leave. That was when he noticed the tracks. Small footprints running all over the place with no care that anyone could follow. She was alive, but still not present.

He didn't know what to make of the information, so he just left. It could have been a different person leaving the prints in the mud. Why did he assume it had been her? And even if it was the reckless brunette, she was probably lost and searching for her way back to her people. She should just stay put, behind the false security of those walls they had. The Commander was seeking blood and soon there would be no more sky people, but at least she wouldn't get herself killed by some spider or the fog. At least she would die with her people. Which was more than he would get if he didn't find a way to absolve himself.

The next time he went back to the ruins he found a plastic water bottle. He must have looked slow, staring at it as if it spoke to him. He took it at some point, stashing it in his bag and went to leave. Letting out an exasperated breath, he turned back and rummaged through the things he had with him. He finally set down in he bottle's place one of the three remaining red roots and left with a scowl on his face.

A soft tuneless song echoed through the woods, and he stopped in his track. Roan hid, not too deeply, between the leaves and saw the foolish sky girl hastily making her way to the abandoned walls. She looked alive and well. Maybe he should stop assuming she was so easily killed. He shook his head and restrained a chuckle. She had been lucky so far, but she was way overdue. He heard her gasp and run inside, picking up the small root. He grimaced at the loud giggling sound that came from her. When she came out, she was spinning the rood between her fingers. She left the way she came, singing just a little louder than before.

Frowning, he went inside and found a compass. He scoffed. Damn girl should have kept it for herself, he knew his way around those places and he could find North from the bark on the trees, something he doubted she knew how to do. He left, slightly angered by the small object he found, but not before he placed one of his knifes in its stead.

* * *

 **Ok, so,** I'm super psyched about writing this. I do nothing but write and fuss about the following chapters [ok, I might have watched an episode of Lucifer in between...]. As a result, it might get a bit longer than the originally planned 5 chapters. Maybe 10? It depends on where I go with certain things… The chapters are short, so why not experiment a little with them?

And I really, _really_ want to write something **dark and a little twisted** , but then I sit down to write... all these lovey-dovey moment pop into my head… I actually wrote the word ' _cute_ ' to describe the overall feeling of one of the following chapters [yes, I have a list of chapters and what they will contain… I like planning ahead like that. Sue me!] **I don't want this to be** **cute** **!** *cry* **  
**

 **Also...** in my overly enthusiastic writing spree... I've already written the next chapter **… should I post it?** *evil smirk*


	4. Orange Flowers

Fun fact. The actors playing Bellamy and Roan are friends in real life.

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~ _This_ is the beginning of anything you want. ~

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Vivian was ecstatic. Things were looking good. Kane was planning an alliance with the grounders, he and Abby no longer fighting like they were on different sides. Chloe and her advanced in their training, finally learning to shot. They were given small hand guns to protect themselves and no one bothered to stop her when she would leave camp. She even managed to convince her friend to join her in the forest on one occasion, though the blonde hadn't been so impressed by nature and 'all that mud', as Chloe put it.

She was yet to see the evasive grounder. But they were playing a fun game of exchange: she would leave something in the old, abandoned building and upon her return she would find something of his in its place. She cherished every single item, all neatly placed in a box behind her bed. He mostly left strange things like knifes and other sharp objects, but other times she would find curious looking fangs or that one peculiar looking plant that fueled her desire to explore the ground.

Roan on the other hand was annoyed about the innocent game. He found himself seeing some colorful flower and thinking the sky girl might like it. He wanted it to end, but he would eventually go to see what useless trinket she left for him, setting a broken arrowhead he had no need of anymore in its stead. The cave he called his own was starting to fill with stupid things like that broken mirror or little metal parts he had no idea what to do with. She did leave good things too, like backpacks or small containers he could store food in.

Sometimes he would wait around for her. When she didn't show up he would swear under his breath that he wouldn't come back, always to break that promise he made to himself. When she would come, signaling her presence from miles away, he would marvel at the joy in her voice as she discovered the item he left behind. She would sit there for hours, waiting, every passing second washing the smile off her pale, naive face.

What was her _game_?

What was she after? Information? A man on the inside? She was in for a surprised. He was of no use to the sky people. He was a rouge warrior, a banished prince. He couldn't, and wouldn't for that matter, help her people. But something in the way the girl would sigh and frown when she set back to her camp made him doubt she had vile, hidden reasons. Maybe she was just looking for knowledge about the ground; her people seemed to be most ignorant about poisons and deadly creatures. He had saved her once, and now she thought he was willing to be her guide or something. He would not fall so low! And yet, with nothing else so occupy his time, there he was again, stalking after her trough the woods.

Vivian was starting to doubt she was swapping things with the particular grounder she had in mind. The only clue she had that it was indeed _him_ was the first red root, one of the four she had brought him. But it could have been a coincidence. Some other person roaming the woods could have seen the water bottle she left and thought it funny to leave something in exchange. Maybe it was a grounder thing, something on the same principle as 'blood must have blood'. Maybe they had to _give_ every time they _took_. She doubted it was an actual thing, but it was a fun concept to entertain. And she was bored out her mind, sitting by the ruins waiting for him.

She pondered on spending the night, but she was just not that brave. The woods looked friendly bathed in sunlight. In the pitch-black night? Not so much. At least during the day she could see where she was running - as in not face first in a tree. She also thought of leaving one of those little stations the guards talked though, but she doubted she could get her hands on two. Besides, she didn't want the whole camp to find out about him.

Eventually she had to leave, as the sun was starting to set. The creeping darkness made her think of a flashlight as the next little 'present' she would drop off for him, whoever 'him' would turn out to be. Vivian was lost in her thoughts when she heard rustling, like something had fallen with a small thud over leaf-covered ground. She turned and scanned the foliage, eyes wide with fright, but saw nothing. Should she call out? Go see what had made the noise? No, just run to camp! She bit her lip, a sad attempt to calm her nerves, and dashed back to camp without a second glance.

Roan sighed and lowered his bow. She was just slow-witted! No surviving skills whatsoever! If he hadn't shot the panther she'd be dead. And why stop and stare behind? What had she thought she could have accomplished if the threat had been still there? Plead with her eyes, hoping the wild animal would have mercy? She deserved to be food, she was asking for it! In his anger he almost released a second arrow straight between those big, haunting eyes of hers. But she bolted before he got the chance to decide if he wanted to either let the arrow fly or slowly loosen the string. At least she didn't have the nerve to check on the source of the rustling noise.

He played the moment she turned her head in his mind. She reminded him of a doe that heard the snapping of a branch: a harmless herbivore that had no chance against the vicious predators of the ground. Roan realized the sky girl was not lucky by chance. No, she was lucky _he_ was around. Without him, she'd be dead since the first day her feet touched the soils of Earth. If he hadn't followed her with his eyes as she left the ruins, hadn't seen the black shadow trailing her, she'd be in the belly of the animal. Just like a little doe. He wasn't sure why he was angry, but he was seeing red. He walked past the abandoned room not bothering to take the flask she left inside. He was not going to come back; he was not the guardian of the nameless sky girl.

The following day Vivian was determined to see the mystery person that was taking her stuff and leaving something else behind. She pulled on a leather jacket and packed a hoodie in case she had to spend the night. Several flashlights in the bag and the small gun strapped in the helm of her pants, she made her way out. Chloe was reluctant, but agreed to cover for her in case anyone noticed her absence for such a long time.

She was first sad, when she saw the flask she left the previous day still there. But then she thought she hadn't missed the person playing the game and was instantly overjoyed. He was bound to come at some point; he did every other day. She sat there, at the entrance of the falling wall, and waited. And waited. And waited some more. She thought about leaving and coming another day, maybe not so early in the morning. She ate the sandwich Chloe packed her and wandered around a bit, not too far, so she was still able to see if anyone snuck inside the building. At some point she was drifting to sleep. Her eyes were heavy, harder and harder to keep open and it wasn't even dark outside. A terrible rumble made her jump to her feet. White light shone above the trees' crowns. She smiled from ear to ear.

It was raining!

Heavy drops of water poured between the leaves and bathed the ground. Vivian stepped outside and was almost instantly wet to the skin. She loved it! Spinning and jumping around in the forming puddles, she felt invigorated. She peeled the jacket off of her and laid on top of it, letting the rain wash over her. She closed her eyes and felt like she was one with nature, just another plant nourished by the heavenly water.

When Roan found her, he thought she was dead.

He watched her from afar, her body plastered on the ground. She wasn't moving. A chill ran down his bones, a wave of guilt; he hadn't showed up when she came and something finally got her. If not for the rain, he wouldn't have even passed that way. He was heading to the building for shelter, not to pick the flask he knew was there. He hadn't watched over her _one time_ , and she got herself killed. Maybe it was for the best. Their little game would finally end.

He approached her, wondering if he should bury the body, take it closer to the camp so her people would find her or just leave it there. He frowned at the stupid smile on her face and noted her chest was moving ever so slightly up and down. Damn sky girl was alive! He resisted the urge to place his foot over her exposed neck and studied her closer instead. Was she ill? Her black clothes clung to her skin, pale hands outstretched on the cold ground. Her damp hair was stuck in weird patterns on her face and neck. She took a long breath, almost startling him, as if she was inhaling the damn rain. What was she doing down there? Did she wish to catch a cold? He poked at her arm, annoyed by her foolishness.

Vivian opened her eyes and blinked the rain out. When she saw the dark figure looming over her she pushed herself away, stumbling to her feet. She was terrified for exactly thirty seconds, until she saw his face between the dense curtain of rain. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him; she supposed he wouldn't quite appreciate the gesture.

"It's you! You're all right!" She approached him without fear, despite the little voice in her head that yelled 'danger'. She peered at his face, noting the frown. But what caught her eyes even more was the dirt. It was missing probably washed away by the pouring drops of water. She opened her mouth to speak, ask him if he was indeed fine, but stopped when he grabbed her hand roughly and pulled her towards the building. "Hey, stop it! It hurts!"

"What were you doing out there?" His voice was just as she remembered, husky and deep and a bit angry.

"I've never seen rain before. Isn't it amazing?"

Roan was surprised. Hadn't it rained since she got there? Not even once? Didn't it rain where she came from? And what so spectacular about falling water? The way her eyes shone as she looked outside was so genuine. She regarded something as common as rain as some priceless treasure, as a wonder she could only see. It made him turn his gaze from her to the forest.

It was raining. He saw nothing miraculous in it, but perhaps for the fact that without it, nothing would grow. He ventured in the desert when he was young and knew how harsh it would be without water. He was grateful for it, but it still annoyed him. It got him wet, cold and dampened his senses. Anyone could sneak up on anyone when thunder rumbled and drops hit every leaf like sticks on drums.

Vivian enjoyed the sound of falling rain; he could listen to it for hours on end. But she wanted to find out more about the grounder. He had let go of her arm when he pushed her inside and was now standing beside her, looking outside. She stole glances of him from the corner of her eye and wondered how to start a conversation.

"What's your name?" It came out the blue, but she really wanted to stop referring to him as 'the grounder'. He fixed his gaze on her, eyes instantly narrowing. Her first instinct was to take a step back, put some space between them, but she stood her ground. It was not like she could outrun him if he set his mind to come at her. "My name's Vivian. People-"

"What kind of name is 'Vivian'?"

"-call me Vi…" Well, that was rude. She wanted to defend her name, but words didn't form. She opened and closed her mouth a few time before recognizing defeat. Her cheeks were burning despite the cool air and wet clothes.

Roan watched her in silence. _Vivian_. It sounded foreign, but the girl did fall from the sky, so what did he knew? If she was offended by his unflattering question, she didn't lash out. Instead, her head fell, eyes pined on a spot on the ground. She was playing with her hands, massaging and pulling on her long fingers. He made her uncomfortable, that much was clear.

It was kind of nice to see the struggle behind her eyes. She inhaled sharply, probably trying to make up her mind on something else to say. He watch her shift her weight from one leg to the other and brush her hair out of her face. His lips curved in a small smirk, thinking of other ways to make her squirm and blush. He wanted to close the distance between them, if only to see if she would back away. But he noticed the red mark on her upper arm and realized he had caused it. Damn sky girl was so fragile!

"Are you going to tell me or not?" She wasn't looking at him, her face turned towards the opposite wall. He looked at her for a moment, wondering why she wanted to know so badly. Banished or not, he was still the heir of the Ice Nation, still his mother's son; some people thought to use him as leverage with the queen even in his current predicament. The little sky girl did not need to know _his_ name. But as the rain stopped and he stepped to leave, he did the mistake to look back. Sad, pleading eyes stared back into his and the wild animal inside of him faltered.

"Roan."

* * *

 **First of all** , thank you all for your lovely reviews! You're really making me consider making the story longer [ if only a by a few chapters:P ] I'll see how much time I have.

 **Second** , this was a bit all over the place, but I'm happy with the way it ended.

Anyways, next chapter is gonna be a little darker [ it's probably gonna end up _cute_ ***cringe*** hope not... ]

 ***Hugs & Kisses***


	5. White Hairs

_Hope you enjoy!_

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~ Nothing has been the same since the devil on my shoulder reached out its hand and asked your angel for a dance. ~

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Roan smirked as he watched the loud sky girl do what she did best - roam the forest, signaling her position to whatever had ears to hear. Besides the fact that she was recklessly making a target of herself, her singing was just terrible; no rhythm, no voice, no consistency. But he couldn't bring himself to despise her, not as much as the first time his ears were tortured by her wailing, anyway.

 _Vivian_. It suited the sky girl, he supposed. To his ears, the name sounded _outlandish_ and even a bit _childish_ , like gibberish a babe might mutter when still learning how to speak. It was _curious_ and ever so slightly _intriguing_ ; just a little _amusing_. All words he could use to describe the sky girl herself.

Vivian was particularly happy. She was humming an old song that got stuck in her head the day the Ark fell, managing to stick in into Chloe's mind as well. It was a catchy tune, even if she couldn't get the notes quite right. But things were getting better for the survivors of the Ark. The alliance with the Commander Lady was on, as the two groups had found a common enemy: the mountain men – who were apparently evil and keeping the delinquents hostage for some reason. They were working on safely getting them out of Mount Weather, though the people weren't told much. Some things never changed! However, the thing that made her the happiest was that she finally knew _his_ name.

 _Roan_. It fitted him like a favorite sweater, worn and molded over his shapes and edges. It screamed _power_ and _vigor_ , made her think of the _thunder_ and _nature unleashed_. It reminded her of _fearless_ _warriors_ depicted between dusty pages of ancient books. She must have whispered the name a hundred times, tasting the sound it left on her lips.

A horn echoed through the woods and she froze in place, ending her little daydream.

Roan cursed under his breath. It had been some time since the last fog and he was expecting it to come sooner than later. He was prepared, he knew what to do! The sky girl looked utterly confused though, wide eyes looking left and right. He made the decision in less than a second. Jumping down the tree he had been watching her from, he was by her side in no time. He grabbed her upper arm and pulled her along to his cave. She didn't resist at all and it made him a little annoyed that she was coming so willingly. He was, after all, still an enemy to her people.

His temporary 'house' was just at the base of a small mountain, nothing more than a hollow in the massive rock. It had the advantage of having a narrow entrance, making it hard to spot if you weren't looking for it. Roan pushed the girl in first, rougher than he intended to, and followed her into the cavern just as the poisonous mist reached the entrance. It swirled and churned with long deadly tendrils, but never moved past the threshold. His head snapped to the darkness of the cave only to see the girl had lowered herself against the hard wall, panting wildly.

Vivian was out of breath. If she had ever reached such incredible speed before, she couldn't recall. If she'd ever reach it again, she would surprise herself. She realized that without Roan pulling her and up when she stumbled and dragging her after him, her legs would have never moved so fast. He saved her life. Again! How many times was that?

Her eyes moved to him, still standing by the cave's mouth. He scared her a little, face shadowed by the soft light that passed through the yellowish fog. His hunched shoulders gave off a defensive stance, sending a shiver down her spine. But she didn't think he'd hurt her. Why bother to get her out of harm's way only to inflict the pain himself. No one was that cruel, surely.

As her breaths became longer and fewer, he finally seemed to relax. Vivian watched him stride past her into the pitch-blackness beyond. Terror surged through her, not knowing how far the cave stretch for and if he was abandoning her alone in the dark. She lifted herself to her feet as warm light ate away the shadows. She moved closer to the fire and sat down, placing the bag she had beside her. With curious eyes she inspecting her surroundings.

It was not as big as the darkness made it look in the beginning, roughly the same size with the room she shared with Chloe. It had the small fire pit in the middle and what seemed like a fur-covered cot by the furthest wall. A bunch of threatening weapons rested in the corner. But what made her lips turn upwards were all the little things scattered around; items she had swapped with him. He had kept them! She wasn't sure he wouldn't just discard the stuff he had no practical use for, like the small bullet casing or the old rusted scissors, but she thought they were a nice representation of her world. She was pleased with her choices of 'souvenirs'. Not even the gloomy expression he wore as he sat down on the other side of the fire could wipe her glee away.

It would have been complete silence, if not for the cracking of the fire.

"How long does it usually last?" She was warned of the mysterious killing fog, but not much was known about it, besides the terrible effects it had.

"Varies." She sighed. She was bad at this. Or he was making things difficult. Either way, she wanted to hear him speak; his voice was… something else. Throaty and masculine, it went hand in hand with his name and complemented his rough appearance. She couldn't picture him like anything else other than a grounder, a fighter. She started chewing on her lip, deep in thought.

Roan stared at her. She was an intruder in his home, despite the fact that he had shoved her inside. There was that fight again behind her eyes; she was trying hard to come up with other things to say. He considered giving her an earful for her stupid behavior. Why couldn't she just stick with her people? But, alas, he was curious about some things, too. She was trapped there with him with nowhere to run; she'd have no choice but to answer him.

"What's it like up there?"

"Huh?" Roan's vice interrupted her train of thoughts. She was focusing so hard on what to say to him that his question, that he asked willingly, caught her by surprise. I was the first time he stated a conversation with her. It only took them being forced together by a killing fog.

"The sky your ship fell from."

"Oh, it's horrible." With all the wonders Earth had to offer, her mind had been far, far away from the distant space. "Actually, it's kind of like this cave we're stuck in right now, only made of metal. There are no resources so everything is carefully rationed: food, water, medicine, clothes… anything you can think of. The drained water is cleaned and put back into use; so is the oxygen. With no plants, there's no fresh air." She took a long breath and continued, her mood darkening considerably. "If you go outside, you die. In a matter of a few excruciating seconds."

She knew all that because she read about it, asked about it. She had to know what fate came to her parents, what fate awaited her, had she broken the rules. And she wanted to so many times: in the long nights in the orphanage, when Chloe had gotten sick, when her friends were floated one by one. But her best friend had stopped her every time, telling her she had to live to honor her parents. For whatever that was worth, she didn't know.

Roan didn't miss the change in her demeanor. When he saw the sky people for the first time, showing off their advanced technology and weapons, he'd presumed they were like the Mountain men: a greedy bunch that wanted more, so they set to have a piece of the ground also. The whole fucking sky was not enough for them anymore. He imagined, from their lack of skills and physical strength, that they spent their days in comfort, not missing on anything. He never thought they came to the ground because they were dying up there. Most of all, never considered it being dangerous.

"Can't be that bad. Plenty of things will kill you here too." Her eyes finally snapped up to his, brows furrowed.

"Your organs begin swelling throughout the body, stretching it to approximately twice its normal size. You'd be ripped apart from the inside, by your own enlarging heart and kidneys. Your watery eyes and mouth freeze as the blood starts boiling in your veins. The air is sucked out trough every pore, turning your skin blue, _and_ , if you had the idea to take one last breath and hold it in before you stepped outside, your lungs would burst apart. All of that happens to you in a few heartbeats. So you decide if it's bad enough for you."

"You lost someone." It wasn't a question, it was obvious from her tone that the subject both pained and angered her.

"I didn't _lose_ anybody. They were thrown out. I told you, resources were inexistent up there; our reserves were dwindling by the hour. Any crime, no matter how small, would result in your expulsion from the Ark - one less mouth to feed." Vivian needed to calm down. It was not Roan's fault; it wasn't fair to dump her repressed anger on him. Besides, they were finally talking and all she was doing was spitting her words at him. She wanted to keep talking, but the words got stuck in her throat. "My parents… "

"What were they like?" If that had been an attempt to lift her spirits, it was the poorest one she ever heard. But it wasn't all his fault, he couldn't know it was a sore subject for her.

"I never really got to know them." Her voice came out dripping venom, surprising herself. She sighed. Staying calm and cheerful was harder in practice than in theory. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're angry for what they did to them, for what was taken from you."

Vivian could have listened to him talk forever. His raspy voice echoed in the small cave, filling her ears and smoldering some of the bitterness that rooted in her heart. She felt like he was talking from experience, despite his calm facade. What had been taken from him?

"Why are you always alone out there?"

"The same could be asked of you?" Her eyes rolled on their own accord; she hated when questions were answered with questions. It was such an annoying practice that people used to avoid being honest.

"My friend doesn't like the forest and my people tend to get snatched up by mountain men or killed. That's why I'm alone out here. Your turn."

"I was banished."

"Oh."

Well, she hadn't expected him to actually answer and she clearly hadn't foreseen those words coming out his mouth. She had thought that he enjoyed the forest too, or was out hunting, or whatever it was that grounders did in the woods. It dawned to her that the cave they were in was small and cramped with all his things. He was alone out there every day and night. He was most likely torn away from his friends and family. In a way, he had been floated, exiled to fend for himself. The death might not be as sudden but it was slow and lonely, and painful nevertheless. He too was angry. She wanted to push the subject further, ask why he'd been banished for, but doubted Roan would like talking about it. How could she change the subject?

Roan examined her face with interest. She looked surprised, but not disappointed; if she had intended to use him as a bridge to his people, she did not show it. If anything, it seemed like she was empathizing with him, sensing his unwillingness to further discuss the matter. He had already said too much. But perhaps the little sky girl had no foul motives to infiltrate his cave, no hidden reason to try befriending him. Maybe she was just grateful he had saved her life. Repeatedly! It was possible that Vivian was not all that bad. Her stomach let out a low growl and he sighed.

"I have some dried meat if you want."

"Oh, I have some berries, too." She picked the small pack she had slid down her shoulders and rummaged through it, bringing out a small transparent bag filled with ripped red berries.

He paled instantly.

He was inches away from her in the blink of an eye, slapping the berries out of her hands and grabbing the front of her shirt. He lifted her with ease and brought her face closer to his. Cool anger ran trough him and weather it was directed towards her stupidity or towards the mother that banished him – fate of which he had just been reminded- he wasn't sure.

"Have you eaten any of those?" His voice rang into his own ears, calm but threatening. Her warm eyes were wide in disbelief and fright, her cold hands pulled at the fingers clenched on the black fabric of her shirt.

"N-no. I-"

"If you want to die so badly I can make it quicker."

"I-I thought they might be bad, that's why I didn't… I took them s-so I could ask… "She was blinking back tears. As if he'd hurt her after saving her worthless life. "I'm sorry." What was she apologizing for, her vapid mind? What had he been thinking, that the shivering creature in his grasp could plot something so nefarious as to use him against his clan? No, she was too naïve for things like that, too trusting, too weak and way too ignorant. Vivian was just a drowning insect he stubbornly saved time and time again.

But no more!

"Come! I'll take you back to your people."

The fog had cleared. He pushed her back against the wall when he let go of her. He didn't need to look back to know she was following; her shaking legs were cracking every stick and leave on the ground. What had gotten into his head that he could be friends with her? Her death sentence was hanging above her head even if she didn't see it, if he had prevented it for a while. She was struggling to keep up with his long strides, but he just wanted to get rid of her, dump her with her lot and forget of her existence. She was a distraction he had no need of. Nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

 **I feel like** I should've stuck to a one shot O.o

Anyways, the dark part is next after all :))

Anyone else **loved** the the last episode with the stations and the first Commander?


	6. Black Shadows

I'm baaaaaack. Sorry for the wait... Just so you know, I didn't get bored with this story, nor am I having writer's block. I really didn't have time to sit down and write.

As always,

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~ No rain, no flowers. ~

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His right hand was numb – the hand he took hold of her shirt with, the hand she grasped at. Tiny invisible needles were poking at his skin, making it incredibly uncomfortable. Had he brushed past the wrong plants and bushes? The memory of the sky girl's soft skin pulling at his fingers calmed the sensation away. Such milky skink, like that of an innocent babe.

Did one leave a child to fend off by itself in the woods?

But she was not his offspring, nor his woman and definitely not his responsibility. She was nothing. Nothing but an insolent little girl with no sense of danger. She belonged with her doomed people. He belonged with his and had to figure out how exactly to reclaim his rightful place. So, shaking his hand to set the blood in motion, he pushed the sky girl out of his mind as fast as she popped there.

In the Sky people's camp, Vivian was laying in bed, examining a leaf. She was pondering on colors and how humans perceive them. She had the strong belief that everyone saw colors differently. When you are young, you are told a certain shade is called 'red', but is what you see truly the same red as everyone else's? Is it even the same hue or a different one all together? She believed in soul mates and their ability to see the world in the same colors, almost as if with the same eyes. Someone out there would look at that leaf she had holding and marvel at its vibrant color, would look at the sky at dusk and sigh in wonder.

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened out there?" She moved her eyes away from the leaf and noticed Chloe looming over her bed, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

"What happened where?"

"Vi, please. You know me better than to think I don't notice things. It's been over a week since you hadn't stepped foot into the damn forest. Something scared you out there? Was that grounder bastard involved?"

"No, he saved me actually. Again..."

"So? Why are you here sulking?"

"I'm not sulking."

"Excuse me! I thought staying in bed all day, sighing and staring emptily at things was categorized as 'sulking'. But by all means, you're definitely not doing it."

"Isn't staying safe what you wanted?"

"Yes, but not if you're miserable. Come on! Stop beating around the bush! Tell me what's going on already; you'll do it sooner or later anyway."

"Maybe I finally realized I was pushing my luck. If Roan wouldn't have been there I'd be dead a couple of times now…"

"Fine, don't tell me! But you _are_ coming to the waterfall with me."

"Why? You hate it out there."

"I do, but I heard all these amazing things about this place where the water just slides down the mountain side. I have to see it for myself."

"You don't have to do this for me, Clo. I'd rather stay in. Please..."

"Oh, I'm going with or without you. It's your choice if you let me get lost out there or not."

"Do whatever you want. I'm not moving from this spot."

"Hmp. We'll see."

With that Chloe left the room. It took about four minutes for Vivian to follow. Her friend had impulsive moments when she refused to back out of something she said, even if she knew it was a bad idea. She had indeed planned to reach the waterfall alone, had Vivian not gone after her blonde friend. With a smug smile on her face, Chloe told her to lead the way.

It was nice being out in the woods again. She hadn't realized how much she missed it until she was there again, surrounded trees and grass and flowers. Vivian knew it was probably all in her head, but she could almost feel the life pulsating trough every root and vine. It made fell alive in turn. She only wished she could transmit the feeling to her friend, who looked disgusted by everything green. Maybe she was just seeing it in a different color.

It all happened very fast.

One moment she was listening to Chloe's chattering, something about a very handsome guard who was tailing her everywhere and giving her presents. The next thing she knew, they were surrounded by six black shadows. They were grounders, but their faces were… wrong. Bumps would trace their disfigured and twisted heads and their eyes held something primal, brutal that made Vivian's blood run cold. But it was their smiles that truly made the girls terrified for their lives. Such deranged upturned mouths that screamed of some cannibalistic terrors. They were not grounders; they were nightmares in the flesh. And they were closing in.

Vivian pulled out her gun, but hesitated. That would be something that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She would go back to that moment often and hate herself for not pulling the trigger sooner. In the seconds that it took her to fire, the creature before her launched an assault, spinning its spear threateningly. She heard Chloe's gun firing and she followed suit, but it was too late; metal hit flesh and a scream erupted from her throat.

Roan could recognize that voice anywhere, even in the form of that blood-chilling scream. The little sky girl was in trouble. He was dashing trough the forest before he had the chance to register what it was exactly that he was running into. Reaper territory. Somewhere in the back of his brain he knew it was likely he would get there too late. If those atrocities have found her, she'd be dead. Loud bangs filled the silence of the forest and he followed them. He saw the sky girl pointing her little weapon at a reaper, but she wasn't fast enough. She got hit in the stomach with the blunt end of a spear and fell on her ass. Roan set in motion, hitting reaper after reaper without mercy.

The first one fell silently with a clean slice of his throat, not able to scream his pain away. He stabbed the second in the back and he let out a grunt. The remaining two noticed him and charged, clearly not knowing what they were getting into. One dagger in each hand, he sliced at them, dodging the spear one was wielding. Blood was dripping from the beast's blade and it fueled Roan's drive to kill. He kicked the other reaper and he fell to the ground. While he was winded, Roan attacked the one with the spear; got close enough and sliced his throat with both his knives. One last plunge of the blade in the last reaper's chest and it was done.

He turned to the sky girl and saw her eyes wild with terror. She was scared of him, of what he was capable to do, of what he was raised to be: a warrior, a king, a killer. She would stay away from him after what she had witnessed him do, after seeing him covered in blood. The thought angered him and it angered him more that it affected him in the first place. Her pleading, desperate voice made him realized he'd never been so wrong in his life.

"You gotta help her, please!" His eyes moved to the figure the girl was hovering over. A young blonde woman with an arrow sticking out of her stomach – another sky girl perhaps. "Roan, I beg you! I'll do anything. Help her!" He closed the space between them and crouched before them. He ripped the girl's shirt and examined the wound. She didn't have long.

"I'm sorry."

"What? No! There has to be something. Help me get her to camp!" Her hands moved from place to place, unsure from where to lift the other girl, but Roan knew it was pointless. It was too far away; the girl had a couple more minutes left before her organs would stop one by one, blood constantly raining from her veins. His eyes met with the dying girl's and, after her cold blues stared into his for a moment, she let out a weak sigh.

"Vi, it's alright…"

"No, Abby can heal you. Just hang in there a little while longer!" The blonde caught her friend's hands and went to talk, but it turned into a cough, blood spilling from her mouth. "Chloe, please! Hang in there just a-"

"No, Vi. You listed here! You have to do something for me." She broke into more coughs. She was turning paler by the minute. "You have to live! Promise me you'll still be your happy-go-lucky self! Promise me you'll survive!"

"We'll both-"

"Promise me, Vivian! Now!"

"I… " Her eyes met Roan's, in one last desperate plea to save the girl. He wished there was something he could do, he really did. He knew the anguish of losing friends, he could relate to her in that particular moment. But nothing could repair the damage to her internal organs. Even if the sky people had a way to do that, the girl was not going to make it that far. Vivian knew that, but was unwilling to accept it. He broke eyes contact, moving his gaze to the dead reapers instead.

"You stubborn girl… promise me!"

"I promise…"

"Atta girl." A weak tug at his clothes made Roan look back on the dying girl. She wore a smile, but the pain was written everywhere else on her blood stained face. "Thanks for watching over this one. I know she can be a handful." The only thing he could do was nod.

"Chloe, I don't know-"

"Shh, just live for me too, okay?" Roan watched as tears burst out of the sky girl's eyes. She didn't answer her friend, just tightened her fingers around her hands. He felt like an intruder in some intimate event, like he was seeing something he was not supposed to. He wondered if his mother's soldiers felt the same when it was him standing over his friend's body, pleading to the queen to spare the others.

The blonde, Chloe, was long gone when the sky girl stopped crying. Her red eyes just stared at the corpse of her friend. It was eerie, one girl in tears, the other with a bloody smile. Roan wanted to get out of reaper territory. It was getting dark and it was a wonder no others came after the noise that the guns made. Best not to wait around for them. He also noticed blood pouring over Vivian's left arm. She had a wound somewhere and it needed to be closed before she suffered her friend's fate. But the sky girl was glued to her deceased friend and Roan didn't know how to get her away from it without sounding like a complete heartless bastard. Nevertheless, they had to move.

"We have to go."

"I'm not leaving her here."

"We can bury her some other place." He sighed and lifted the body. Warm blood was still dripping from the blonde, mixing with his already stained clothes. He heard the clumsy footsteps of the sky girl behind him and made his way closer to his cave. They could bury the body somewhere in the forest, maybe under that old elder tree.

"Could we burn her? She didn't really care for the mud…" He sighed. It was getting dark and a fire that large could attract anything in miles. On the other hand, no one would see the smoke.

"Sure, we'll build a pyre by the river."

"Thank you." He was about to tell her he didn't do anything to deserve thanking, he hadn't saved her friend, but something stopped him. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was stubbornness to accept he liked having the girl around or maybe it was out of consideration to her already fragile state of mind. Whichever it was, it annoyed him. None of what was happening was helping his goal; none of it was aiding him in his quest.

But even with all that he still gathered wood and piled it together. He still sat there as the sky girl broke into violent sobs when the flesh on her dead friend started sizzling and melting. He lifted her and guided her to his cave, despite her uselessness. He sat her down and inspected her wounds. The gash on her left shoulder was leaking blood heavily. His knife heated and a cloth in her mouth he bought the metal close to her wound but didn't press it to her skin. His eyes lifted to her face. She reminded him of a broken doll, with no will of its own. She sat where he placed her, she didn't oppose to him manhandling her and she didn't care for the pain that was to come. His eyes narrowed as he lowered the blade. Vivian let out a scream and tried to pry herself away from him but he had her in an iron grip. Well, at least she wasn't entirely dead, still had some spunk in her.

He offered her his cot leaving him to sleep on the cold ground even if his muscles were sore. He didn't throw her out the next day when she just laid there crying her heart out. By nightfall he thought he'd stab her if she kept sobbing like a child. Life was tough, people got killed. And she was not honoring her friend's last wish; she was not living, she was withering away. Roan was close to kicking her in the stomach when she suddenly got up. She sat on the other side of the fire and for a while she just stared down at the flames. Her words surprised him.

"I want to get stronger." His eyes scanned her face with curiosity. The sadness was still there, her eyes were still filled to the brink with tears but she refused to let them fall. He noticed her hands clasped tightly into fists on her lap. When her head lifted and her pleading eyes met his he knew he was getting into something either tedious or thrilling. "Will you help me?"

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 **So...** I have some fun chapters planned ahead :))

Thanks too all of you who read/ followed/ favorited/ rewiewd. You always make m day.

greaserslady, I'll keep an eyes for your story :D

*Hugs*


	7. Silver Linings

Sorry for the wait... file has been a little hectic of late. But no worries, this story is far from over *wink*

 **Hope you enjoy!**

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~ Light is easy to love, Show me your darkness. ~

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Have you ever hurt so bad you thought it was the end?

After having family and friends floated one after another, Vivian was convinced she knew how to deal with loss. She never expected the pain to hit her anew in full force, never thought it could hurt worse than all the times before. In truth, she should've expected it. Chloe had been more than a simple friend; she had been the pillar that always supported her, a bright light that always knew how to cheer her up. And she did just that until the very end, until it actually killed her. If Vivian hadn't been sulking in her room, Chloe wouldn't have gotten it in her head to go outside camp. She could've still been alive and well, maybe on a date with that guard she was smitten with.

Or maybe, if she had pulled the trigger a little faster that day. If, instead of freezing in place, she would have shot the grounder like she was taught to, perhaps she could have also killed the one that sent the killing arrow. Chloe might have still been there, laughing, complaining about the muddy ground and creepy insects, warming up to Roan who could've helped them back to camp.

Those thoughts were eating away at her. She was convinced she would've lost her mind the past three weeks if not for Roan. He hadn't given her a purpose. No, that was Chloe's doing. Vivian wanted to get strong and survive the ground as her friend asked her to. But Roan was working her to the bone, not letting her mind wander for long and that was also helping a lot.

The night was the only time she dreaded. During the day she had things to do; most of them involved fending for her life. But as the sun fell beyond the horizon her dreams would be plagued by guilt and doubt. Some nights she would be blessed with a dreamless slumber, her body and mind too tired to entertain her broken heart. So she would work harder and harder every day, in hopes of exhausting herself just enough to fall asleep the moment she hit the small cot that was made for her.

As she was doing her morning routine that day, she spied Roan from the corner of her eye. He was sitting in the shade by the entrance of his cave, watching her with an amused expression, as if waiting for her to call it quits. Vivian let out an exasperated breath and ran just a little faster. She was not sure if he has helping or tormenting her for his own amusement, wanting to see how long she could follow his absurd instructions before she finally gave up. But either way, it was helping her, both physically and mentally.

She let her thoughts drift to the grounder. He was infuriating more times than he was pleasant. She almost tripped on her own legs as she remembered the terrifying first days of her 'training' when he made her hunt her own food. She went almost two days without eating before he finally got it in that thick skull of his that it wasn't enough to throw her in the wilderness to make a hunter out of her. He had to teach her step by step. She let out another sigh, bracing herself for the last lap.

Roan's eyes glistened with glee as he observed is sky girl's routine. She was carrying heavy logs on each shoulder as she ran in circles in front the cave. One more lap and she stumbled on the ground catching her breath. She didn't waste any more time, setting herself for her pull ups. Sweat was running down her forehead and her cheeks were reddened. Her black shirt was damp as was her hair, messily pulled up. She surprised him more and more with each passing day.

At first, he only agreed to train her so he could scare her with hard work. But she pulled through and when she didn't back out, he sent her to hunt for her own food. He knew she could never pull it off; he was hoping she' run back to her people. He hadn't expected her to starve herself rather than admit defeat. Maybe it was her friend's dying wish that fueled her, but the sky girl sure had some willpower, despite lacking the physical kind.

He watched her as she finished her drill and made her way besides him with heavy feet. She let herself fall on her ass with a thud only making his smile grow a little wider. He handed her a water skin and she jugged it with greed. His eyes never left her as he wondered why he was enjoying working her so hard. He felt, for the first time since his banishment more than two years ago, alive. He had a reason to wake up early in the morning; he had things to occupy his mind with, other than obsessing over a way home. Things like what to add to Vivian's training, how to get her upper muscles stronger or what to teach her next. He was debating to either teach her to use a bow or hand-to-hand combat, but wasn't sure which would suit her best. The bow was great because it didn't place her in immediate danger, but close quarters combat could prove useful in any situation. He was startled by her voice.

"Is there something on my face?" He blinked a few times as he realized she was staring back at him with big curious eyes. Every time those brown orbs peered at him he felt his guard lowering.

"Nothing. Except a lot of dirt."

"Pfff. I'm still cleaner than you. When have you bathed last?" She made a waving gesture with her hand as if to disperse the odor. Roan let out a dry chuckle. She had gotten bolder in the weeks she had spent with him. Or perhaps, she got comfortable enough around him to show her true colors. Still, her comment made him self-conscious. Was he really that dirty?

"I wash when necessary. Unlike _you_ who should just go live in the river."

Vivian opened her moth, mean comment prepared, but stopped as his eyes averted from her. Had she offended him? Nah, Roan couldn't care less of what she thought. Even if he seemed to lighten up to her in the past weeks, they really didn't talk much besides training. Well, it had been half her fault; she hadn't been feeling really chatty. She still wasn't, but at the same time she wanted to get to know the grounder better. She was particularly curious about him being banished, but she felt like they weren't at that level of friendship yet. Well, insulting his hygiene wasn't going to get her in his good graced either. She sighed and stretched her arms, changing the subject.

"Damn, it hurts in places I didn't even know I had muscles in." She wined a little and earned a smirk from the grounder. "Say, I always meant to ask, are all grounders good at this?"

"Good at what?" His sky blue eyes fell back on her and she felt a little relieved; he wasn't mad at her for the dirt joke after all.

"Um, all of it, fighting, hunting… I guess, what I mean to ask is, are all of you trained like this?" He thought for a while, his gaze clouding for a second before he answered.

"Where I come from, yes. We are a nation of warriors."

"Where you come from? I thought all grounders were united under the Commander or something like that."

"Something like that."

"Oh, come on. I'm really curious. I've been dying to ask you all sorts of things in those first days I met you."

"Ask something else." She was about to protest when it hit her she was asking him to tell her about the place he was banished from. She was so stupid! She was tired and sore, but it was no excuse to be insensitive. Like she couldn't bear thinking of the camp or anything that could remind her of the friend she lost, he must also dread talking about his kin. How hadn't she realized? She meant the question to be about grounders in general, not about his home. "What? No other questions, sky girl?"

"Uhm, I'm sorry."

"That's not a question." She bit her lip and tried to calm her thoughts. He didn't _seem_ pissed, but he wasn't willing to tell her about his past either. So, what else could she ask him? Everything that came to mind returned one way or another to his banishment. The last thing she wanted was for him to completely shut her out again, to shout at her and send her to her peoples' camp like he did once before. She liked it there with him, she didn't want to go back where everyone looked at her with pity and offered condolences. She felt tears invade her eyes and had to turn her head away. "If you're not going to ask anything I will."

"Huh?"

"Your people didn't come to the ground together. The first to get here were a bunch of children. Why? Why not send some of your warriors with them?"

"They were prisoners back on the Ark. I think I told you before that people got floated for every little misdeed they committed, no?" When he nodded she continued, happy he changed the subject and didn't let their conversation die, even if the subject was still hitting close to home. "Well, that didn't apply to kids under 18. They were imprisoned. Those delinquents were sent to Earth to see if it was still polluted."

"You thought the ground was polluted? Uninhabited?"

"Yes. I'm really not sure how they didn't know the truth. I mean with all that technology… Anyway, everyone was surprised to find out the people on the Ark were not the only survivors."

"So, your people came down thinking they'd be the only ones around." She could feel the amusement in his words.

"Yeah, I guess the joke was on us."

"Still, that doesn't explain why the next ships crashed. Some of them were burning before they reached the ground." A shiver ran though her body as she recalled the moments between her station entering Earth atmosphere and the crash landing. "If you don't want to tell me it's-"

"No, it's not that. I honestly don't know the exact reason. It was chaos up there. You see, the Ark was meant to be able to sustain life for 100 years. After that, we were supposed to return here. But they didn't calculate right. The air reserves weren't going to last that long and they hadn't made preparations in time. What you saw crashing… it wasn't the actual ships that were meant to land us back to Earth. It was actually the place we lived in, modified at the last minute." She let out a sigh and a sad smile crept on her face. "I thought we were all going to die."

Roan almost bit his tongue. Great! He was trying so hard to keep her from getting depressed about her dead friend and all he managed to do was get her sad over different things. There was just no winning with her, was there? He extended his hand and placed it on the top of her head, ruffling her hair. It had dried in the sun, her bangs curling awkwardly, and was once again soft under his fingers.

"You sky people sure are stubborn. But to think you were the only ones on the ground…" He chuckled and warmth entered his body when Vivian did the same. Her eyes would always get a wonderful glow to them whenever her smile was genuine. She was too easy to read, all her emotions painted in vivid colors on her face. But he liked that about her; he didn't have to guess how she was feeling because he could always tell with one look.

He remembered how at first he wanted nothing to do with her, how he thought about killing her, slitting her throat. And now, he actually enjoyed the sky girl's company. But was it her company specifically? She got him out of the loneliness he had fallen into. But could she be easily replaced? Was _he_ using her to fill that void inside him or was it _her_ that was aiding him all along? She searched for him even when he had been anything but nice to her. She came back time and time again after he had sent her away. Was it him that was helping her or was she the one saving him?

"You got that far away look on your face again… What's bothering you, Roan?" With barely a whisper, she pulled him out of his thoughts. She rarely called his name, but every time she did it was as if he was hearing it for the first time. He blame it on the way she pronounced the name, a bit different, her lips rounding more than needed for the 'o' sound.

He watched her as big doe-like orbs stared back at him, waiting for an answer, searching for it within his own eyes. What _was_ bothering him? There was nothing more pressing than his banishment and that was nothing new. When the girl before him cocked her head to get a better view of his face he just shook his head.

"Nothing." Deep down, he knew what the problem was – he was getting used to it, to being out in the wild, away from his controlling mother and the responsibility of being heir to the Ice Nation. But there was no use pondering on it too much. It was not like he had a plan to get back. Yet. One step at a time. "Come on. I'm starving."

Vivian watched as he got up and headed inside the cave. It was her time to shake her head. She didn't know what was wrong with him, but he was keeping things from her. He'd get this funny look from time to time, like he had just realized something important, or like he had momentarily forgotten about it only to be abruptly reminded. Whatever _it_ was, she desperately wanted to know. Sometimes she thought he wanted to share his worries with her, but in the end, never did. It bothered her that he didn't trust her still. But, nevertheless, he was nicer to her than in the beginning. He accepted to train her and allowed her to stay with him. Gotta be happy with the things you get, right?

Dusting herself off, more out of habit than anything else, she headed towards the alluring smell of cooked meat. She would play his game a little longer, not pressure the grounder too much. But she made it her second purpose to get him to open up. One day he'd finally see her as someone he could confide in.

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 **Thoughts?**

Also... I'm really mad the TV show.


	8. Violet Bruises

I just wanna point out that I have no clue how people track in the forest or anything whatsoever about medicine [stitching, bandaging, nothing :))] I'd die in the wilderness. He... he? So... don't take anything I wrote here relating those things for granted... they are purely based on things I saw in Tv shows and movies.

 **Hope you enjoy!**

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~ It always rains the hardest on people who deserve the sun. ~

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Roan was glaring daggers at the girl sleeping peacefully across from him. She was sure taking her sweet time dreaming, a trait uncharacteristic of the sky girl. In the short month that the two had shared the cave, Vivian had always been the first to wake, even if she was not the first to leave her cot. But the girl was out cold in that particular morning and Roan's patience was at its limit. They had hunting to do; food didn't wander into the fire pit on its own.

He stalked closer and crouched beside her. Her chest was heaving slowly indicating she was in no distress. Her eyes would occasionally roll behind her closed lids. She looked so freaking frail sleeping there on the improvised sleeping pallet. Her skin, that had been flawless from what he saw on her arrival to the ground, was etched with cuts all over her exposed arms. Her left cheek held an ugly looking bruise. It was an old one, almost healed, but the violet mark looked out of place on her pale skin. He couldn't see more, and he'd never admit he wanted to. Nevertheless, his hand reached for her hair and pressed it between his fingers. It was silky and black in the low light of the cave.

She was rather pretty, for a sky girl. Far from breath-taking, Vivian had a charm of her very own, something alluring, like the calling of a hearth the night during a snowstorm. Her eyes most of all were what always pulled him in, spellbinding him. So incredibly different from his steel glare, hers held a warm brown that emitted nothing but gentleness. They were beautiful and they were staring back at him. His own blues were glued to them and for a moment he had half a mind to claim the little sky girl as his. The dry tears on her cheeks reminded him that, even if her body was getting stronger with every passing day, her spirit was still weak. She was still mourning the loss her friend. So he lightly punched her shoulder instead and moved away from her.

"You missed your morning training. How long were you planning to sleep?"

"Ah, why didn't you wake me up?" He shrugged and picked up his hunting gear: a long spear - the one item he had left from Azgeda - and a bag with a few essential things like a water skin and some extra knives.

"You looked like you needed it. I'm heading out to get food. Are you coming or staying?"

"Definitely coming!" She jumped out of the cot, throwing the blanket to the side. After stretching her arms with a small whimper, she picked up her jacket and tucked her little black gun at her back. Finally, she strapped a small knife on her belt and joined him at the cave's entrance. They stared at each other for a few more seconds before she furrowed her brows. "What?"

"Do you even know how to use that?" She looked at the knife he was pointing at then back at him.

"Sharp point forward and staby-stab? How hard can it be?" He must have grimaced because she stuck out her tongue in a childish manner. "You could teach me if you have a problem with my methods."

"You ' _methods'_ are gonna get you killed. Come on, it's already late." He left the cave and listened for the still clumsy steps of the young woman. She fell in line with him and was stealing glanced from the corner of her eyes, pouting her lips. Her thoughts were so loud he could almost hear them. "Just say whatever is brewing in your head and get over with it."

"Well then, will you teach me? To use a knife? It doesn't even have to be a knife. That spear of yours looks rather awesome." The scoff came as natural as breathing. Surely she didn't think she was that strong from just a few routine exercises.

"As if you could wield a spear…" He stopped to check the ground for any tracks, human or animal and was pissed when the girl kept pestering him on the matter.

"We can stick to the knife then."

"No."

"Why not? What use has to me all the running around and lifting things if, in the end, I still can't defend myself?"

"Because you're not ready." He stopped tracking and got up, turning to face her. "And because I said so." In truth, Roan had been planning on teaching her the basics of some weapons. He had decided some time ago that a bow and arrow would serve her best for the time being. But he was enjoying teasing the girl from time to time. More often than he cared to admit to himself.

"Oh, come on. Pretty please?" She jumped in front of him, hands clasped together in a praying gesture. She was lightly bouncing on her toes as she looked directly into his eyes. He was almost fooled on agreeing, but she was not going to win this 'argument' that easily.

"Tell you what. You catch me an animal, any animal, and I'll teach you to use a weapon of my choosing." Her eyes sharpened as if sensing he was trying to deceive her.

"A weapon of _your_ choosing? Is it going to be a stick or something of the sorts?"

"You'd be surprised of the damage I could do with a simple staff."

Vivian had to use all her self-restraint not to roll her eyes. _Show off!_ Of course _he_ could do a lot of damage with a staff; he could probably kill people with his bare hands. That could not be said about herself, though. She could barely kill stuff with her gun, gun that only had two bullets left. She needed a weapon, a grounder weapon, that she could use.

"I think I need something sharper, don't you?"

"I don't know... You might end up harming yourself more than the enemy." She wanted to punch that smirk right off his hunky face. He was clearly having a blast making fun of her. But Vivian was not about to back down. If there was anything she learned about Roan, it was that she had to be persistent with him.

"How about something I could use from afar? Like a bow?" He seemed to ponder on it for a while and when she was sure he was going to turn down her proposal, he agreed.

"Fine."

"Really?" She jumped in joy and wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting herself on her toes. It had come so natural that it didn't register until his arms were on her waist, pushing her away.

"Don't celebrate just yet." He peeled her off himself, a stern expression on his face. "I said I'll teach you _if_ you catch a wild animal first. I don't see you having any venison."

"Oh, yeah, right… Almost forgot about that." Where was she going to find a small, non-lethal animal to capture? She felt his eyes trailing her as she examined their surroundings for animal trails, just like he had shown her a few times before.

Vivian stepped carefully on the ground, keeping an eye out for tracks, broken branches and disheveled foliage. There were a few signs that something had passed through a bush on their left, but whatever it was, it seemed big so she ignored it. If it passed her knees, she didn't want to battle it with a small knife she didn't really know how to handle.

Roan's lips kept twitching upward as he looked at the sky girl struggling to track like a _real_ hunter. She would crouch down and brush off the fallen leaves and try and determine the direction a branch was broken in. He sighed as she passed a few obvious signs; they were not eating anytime soon. Maybe it hadn't been such a bright idea to make her hunt their lunch, though he was amused at how she ended up thinking she had managed to _convince_ him to show her the ways of the bow and arrow.

He must have taken his eyes off of her for a second, distracted by rustling leaves behind them. It turned out to be a bird, flying away past their heads. When he turned his gaze back at the sky girl she had distanced herself from him, knife in hand. He took a step forward and noticed Vivian was stalking quietly a boar piglet. The warning died in his throat as the mother boar came charging at the girl. He would've laughed at the pathetic attempt to stab the boar if the high pitch scream hadn't chilled his blood. In five long strides he was between the girl and the wild animal.

To call it 'a battle' would be making fun of it. The boar charged angrily to defend its piglets and all Roan had to do was slide to the side a little and jam his spear in the animal's neck, pushing it backwards. The gurgling noise died soon after and the boar stopped moving altogether. He turned to the woman sitting on the ground. She was holding her right side, her face scrunched up in pain. He knelt beside her and pushed her hands away a bit forceful and lifted her shirt.

"I'm alright. It's just a scratch."

"It's a pretty deep scratch!" She turned her face away from him, flustered by his words. He examined the wound and was glad the boar's tusks hadn't dug any deeper. Still, she needed stitching. Searching through his bag, he pulled out a cloth and wrapped it tightly around the young woman's waist.

"Keep pressure on it. I'll deal with it when we get back." Extending his hands to help her on her feet, he pondered what to do with the piglets that were squealing at their mother from a short distance. He took three knives from his pack, each finding its target with deadly precision. They had enough food, but without the mother to protect them, the piglets were bound to be eaten sooner or later. He could take them to a trading post and exchange them for something else; Vivian needed some clothes that didn't scream Skaikru from a mile. Tying the smaller boars together, Roan hauled them over one shoulder and proceeded to do the same with the bigger animal. He tossed the light bag to the girl; she could at least carry that.

Vivian caught the bag, slightly startled, and placed it on her shoulders, then continued to keep her hands pressed to her wound. It hurt like hell. She remembered with terror the last time Roan closed a wound on her shoulder and was sure it was going to happen again. She would have voiced her concern if he didn't look so god damn pissed and ready to strangle someone. So she followed him quietly, only gasping a few times from the pain that jolted trough her abdomen.

"Sit!" It was the first thing Roan said when they entered the cave. She almost wanted to deny him the satisfaction of obeying such a direct and curt order. But blood was starting to spread over the bandage and her shirt; she needed his help, again. Was she ever going to be capable to survive on her own? At least a week alone? A day? She'd settle for not being killed by animals and plants on the least.

She watched him start the fire and place a blade to heat. Her stomach did a back flip. She almost wished she'd pass out from blood loss before he had to cauterize the wound, but she didn't think she'd actually lost that much blood. Her eyes followed the grounder instead, trying all the while to calm her nerves and prepare for what was to happen. Roan hung the piglets on a wall by the thread that bound them and proceeded to prepare the bigger one for dinner. Hacking the hind legs, he placed them above the fire then lifted his eyes to hers. She gulped involuntarily and had to avert her eyes. He was angry! But she didn't know what to say or do. His anger was clearly directed at her and to some degree she understood why – he had to step in and save her again. She could have been more cautious, could have asked before heading on her own, could have done a thousand different things if she just stopped to _think_ for a second.

He got closer to her and lifted her shirt, pressing it against her, silently telling her to hold it there. She bent to take a look at the damage when his skillful hands took the makeshift bandage off, but his glare made her straighten her back again. He gripped her around the waist and she stiffed, closing her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the pain. She was about to remind him he hadn't given her anything to bite on when the hot iron was pressed against her skin. Her hand reached for her mouth to snuffle the scream out, but she ended up biting on her fingers instead. Tears welled in her eyes, a few finding their way down her face.

"Let it breath for a minute." He turned from her and went back to managing the cooking boar. It took her a few minutes to get used to the burning sensation and steady her voice.

"Thank you…"

"It could have killed you! Why? Why are you so… "

"Stupid?"

"Ignorant! What did you suppose the piglet was doing on its own? Didn't it cross your mind that the mother might and _should_ be near?"

"Not really… I mean yeah, but I thought it was small and I could have a chance of catching it and then you were going to teach me…" Her words died in her throat, all her energy directed to keeping more tears from bursting from her eyes. She felt so pitiful in that moment that it embarrassed her to no end, even if he saw her in worst shapes. She wanted to hide under a rock and live the rest of her miserable life there, away from his judging glare.

"You could have told me what you were doing."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I only wanted-"

"Yes, you wanted to learn how to use a weapon. Much good it did you." She bit her lip to stop it from trembling. He wasn't going to teach her after all. She averted her gaze from him when he came back to apply a weird smelling salve and wrap a clean bandage around her. Vivian felt tired, her limbs weak. When he was done, he cut a piece of the cooked meat and shoved it to her with another barked order to 'eat it'. She didn't realize how hungry she was until the first bite. Meat tasted good, she hadn't had any of it back on the Ark. She eyed Roan who was sitting in his usual spot, across the fire from her. The fury behind his blue eyes seemed to have died down, but his brows were still furrowed.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry! Be careful so you won't need to apologies. 'Sorry' does nothing to prevent things, it doesn't keep you alive."

Vivian's head dropped, the burning fire suddenly presenting much interest. He was right, of course. He usually was, not that his ego needed to be informed of that. She wanted to promise him she'd do better next time, she'd be more careful, more aware of herself and her surroundings. But knowing herself she'd probably walk right into the wolf's den. Instead she promised to herself that she will _try_ to learn more from Roan, to follow his instructions at heart and to ask when unsure of things.

She lifted her eyes not moving her head as if to spy on him from between her lashes. He had discarded the bone he was eating from besides the fire and was staring blankly at a spot near it, or perhaps at the bone itself. He was lost in his thoughts again and Vivian was incredibly curious to know what was going in that head of his. She wished he'd talk more to her, tell her more about himself, just randomly have conversations. They talked, sure, but most it was either to tell her to do stuff or to complain about the way she had done it. It had been her fault too, for being shut inside herself for a while after Chloe. But she wanted to get to know Roan better and she had hoped it would happen naturally. A joke here, a comment there. But it had been over a month since they were sharing the small cave and he would still not open up to her. It was a step up from their initial encounters, but it was still far from what she was expecting. From blood loss or exhaustion or pure mistake, her next thought came out out loud.

"You're gonna trust me one day…" She clasped her hand over her mouth, panic rising. It came out a little louder than a whisper, but in the silence it clattered like metal against metal. She hoped he was going to let her words slide, but his eyes lifted from the fire and landed on her.

"You think I don't trust you?" His voice was in its usual gruff and steady tone but his eyebrows were lifted in something she pegged as disbelief. Vivian noticed long ago the thin scars that framed his face, but never had they stood out so boldly. She weighed her words carefully.

"Do you?"

"I sleep completely defenseless next to you." She scoffed and rolled her eyes, not sure if he was making fun or truly believed that counted as trust.

"That only proves you don't think me capable of killing you in cold blood, in your sleep. Or at any other point, really. But you… don't tell me anything. I know nothing about you, save for your name and that you were banished…"

"What else do you need to know?"

"I don't _need_ to know anything. It's just that… you seem to have a lot on your mind sometimes, like mere minutes ago. You stare into nothing and space out and I'd kill to know what you're thinking in those moments."

"You'd kill, eh?" He practically dismissed the possibility of that happening with a simple smirk, but Vivian was not ready to give up on her pursuit. She wanted to know more, get to understand why he did some things and maybe get a glimpse of hew he viewed the world. What made him sad, what brought a smile of his face and what motivated him to go on and live - she craved to know all that.

"Don't turn this into a laughing matter. I'm serious. I want to help. As meager I my offer might appear to you… "

"You can't help. Not with this."

"Is it about your banishment?"

"Yes."

"How… "

"Our Queen saw exile as a fitting punishment."

"What for?"

"I plotted with the Commander." Vivian waited a couple of seconds, eyes fixed on his face, then decided to push her luck. He was talking; best take advantage of it while it lasted.

"This is all very vague, you do realize that, right?" With a sigh he pushed his fingers through his tangled hair and continued his story.

"Azgeda -The Ice Nation- wasn't truly submitted to the Commander. There was war between our people before the Coalition. Our Queen bowed to Lexa, but never thought the alliance was truly beneficial to us. I thought otherwise. Being one of the clans brings multiple advantages: trading options, protection. When the Queen found out about our ploy, she agreed to join the Commander fully on one condition: I was to be banished. So the Commander agreed."

That must have been the longest he spoke without interruption. Vivian was amazed at both the small victory and at his words. She took all of it in, and, though she felt like there was more to it, thought better of calling him out.

"You got what you wanted in the end, though. The Ice Nation is now one of the Commander's clans, right? It could've been worse. Your Queen could have killed you and declined joining the Coalition too."

"She did a lot worse. She killed all the people I had dragged into this mess. Not to mention she doesn't intend to be under the Commander's rule for long. I know _my queen_ , she'll never respect the Coalition. She has ambitions, plans. Perhaps I walked right into one of her schemes."

There was frustration in his voice, his hands balling into fists. Vivian wanted to help, wanted to make things better, because, if things were as he described them, he did not deserve the punishment he was given. The Commander all but betrayed him in favor of an alliance with his people. But what could a sky girl like herself do in the matter at hand? Exactly nothing! And now he was upset and it was all because she made him talk about it. She moved to sit beside him, but refrained from the initial thought of placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have insisted…"

"No, it actually helped a little, talking about it to someone." Tough she guessed he only said that to her benefit, she still gleamed with joy on the inside.

"I may not be of much help, but I'm always here if you want to talk about something. I'm especially looking forward to bad-mouthing that evil queen of yours when you're ever in a particularly bad mood." She leaned closer to him, bumping her shoulder to his upper arm, than straightening back up, small smile on her lips. The gesture granted her a scoff from the man, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward for a moment. She was going to count that as a win!

"Come on. You still have training to do." He got up and she could only stare at his retreating form.

"What? But I'm injured! You said I could've died."

"Those were not my exact words… And you aren't getting any stronger sitting on your ass all day." He was out of the cave before she could complain anymore. She grunted an insult, but she couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. Roan shared his story with her, even if perhaps just a fraction of it. It was a good day, all things considered. She only wished that the next time he opened up she wouldn't have to get injured.

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 **Thoughts? This chapter ended up just a tad longer...**

1\. Thanks for all your reviews. They make my day. Also, no worries, I plan on sticking to this story till the very end.

2\. To Megohime of Mutsu :I think he's a little ooc, too. And I kinda get what you mean by 'to much in his head'. I was initially going for a grumpier version of him, still sour 'cause of his banishment. But I'll work on that. :D

I do plan on integrating Vivian in the story line[ and in the Ice Nation :))) he he I'll fave fun with that ], though it will take a few more champers before they go after Clarke [ I'm still debating if he takes Vi with him... but I'll see when I get there. At any rate, she's gonna be at the fight between Roan and Lexa and from there on in the plot.]

3\. Regarding the time... I think it flows a bit different from the TV show... I mean... I think be now Clarke should have been on the run... That's gonna happen in a few more chapters I guess...

4\. I don't he's dead... but if he is in the show... he isn't gonna be in my story... Just so you know. I ain't killing him!

5\. Can I take a moment to mourn Lincoln's death? What was up with that? So sad... Someone better end Pike soon -


	9. Crimson Scars

I don't know how good this chapter ended, but I had fun writing it. *grin*

 ** _Hope you enjoy!_**

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~ When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars. ~

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She woke up late the next day again. Roan was long gone from the looks of it and she sighed, pulling the blanket over her head. The stench made her gag; it needed a wash. Everything needed a wash! Herself included. Stretching her arms and legs, Vivian flung herself out of the cot. A portion of meat and some fruit waited for her by the fire pit. She stuffed her mouth with a bite of meat and went through her clothes. She owned a total of two pairs of black jeans and four shirts, two of which were in tatters. She sighed and discarded the worn out and bloodied one she was wearing. She had fallen asleep in it the previous night and she felt dirty beyond reason. So she picked a gray shirt and the other pair of pants and headed for a quick 'bath', scooping her blanket and Roan's in the process. It was sunny outside and it would be a shame to waste such a good day for hanging laundry.

Vivian looked for the man on her way, but there was no sight of him. She was wondering where he could have run off to when she exited the dense foliage on the river bank and froze in place. There he was in all his glory, washing himself. He was underwater from the waist down, but it was ridiculously low; she could see the upper part of his butt. But what caught her attention most were the scars on his back. It was a series of abrasions, expanding on his upper back like a web. She was some feet away, so she didn't get a good look, but they didn't look like an accident. She was startled when he splashed the water and took a step back, hiding behind a wall of leaves.

' _I should go away, come back later.'_ She muttered to herself quietly, trying desperately to calm her heartbeat. When had it spiked so badly? She bit her lower lip and dared to push a leaf aside. Roan was still in the river, his head ducked underwater. When he pulled out, he shook his head to get some of the water off, making sparkling drops to cascade off of him. He dipped fully under and came back up after a few moments, trailing his hands over his body. Why was she still there watching? He changed clothes in the cave with her all the time, but she never actually stared at him. She never even noticed the scars and they were ridiculously elaborated. Was she some kind of a pervert? Was she ogling him because he was unaware of it? Would she like it if the roles were reversed? She didn't have time to answer that last question because Roan spun around to get out of the water and she almost yelped a she released the leaf to its place. Her heart was threatening to break free out of her chest.

Even so, after a while, she cautiously peaked back, deciding there was definitely something wrong with her, but what could she do? His front was bound to be even more impressive than his backside. And she wasn't hurting anyone, right? Well, except herself if Roan ever found out. Still, it was best to enjoy the small things in life, like the way his muscles flexed under his taunt skin, visible even from that distance as he dried himself up. Her eyes trailed down his body, from his wide shoulders to his muscular arms and well defined abs. She noted his manhood and felt the heat creeping up per cheeks and ears. She focused on his legs instead, and the only comparison were some ancient statues she once saw in a book. Scars and all, he was handsome. Or perhaps it was the scars that made him so alluring, his skin begging to be felt.

"Does the little shy girl like what she sees?" _Busted_! The leaf fell from her hand and she gulped nervously. "No use in hiding, I know you're there. Come on out." There was a playful tone to it, but she was not sure what to make of that. Still, what could she do? Run back to the cave and pretend she was never there? Even if he was bluffing and he hadn't indeed seen her, he could easily make out her tracks from and to the cave. There was no use denying it. So she stepped out of the bushed and tried to keep it cool. He made it easier as he was already buckling his pants. A clean pair from what she could see between her lashes.

"I was coming to wash these." She lifted the blankets as if to make a point and hopefully avert his eyes from her. "Thought it best to wash my wound too."

"And decided to stay for a little show?"

"N-no. I just kinda got here and-"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go for a little swim. I'll keep watch from over here." His tone took an abrupt change, becoming all grave and serious. His face too, eyes daring her to deny him, to say no to his order. His arms crossed and she took a moment to admire them, and then curse herself for it before she finally answered.

"…I can't swim." His brow rose and he starred her dead in the eye for what seemed like eternity.

"You'll never cease to amaze me, won't you? Anything else you're incapable of that I should be aware of?"

"Hey, that was mean! There was nowhere to lean on the Ark… It's not like we had a need to up there." She was sure that she couldn't blush more furiously than she already was. She was embarrassed at being found out, a little angry at his mean remark and most of all, there was a lingering image of him naked at the back of her head that refused to go away. "Look, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to. I was coming this way and you were already here."

"You sure like apologizing a lot." He shook her head and pulled his shirt over his head. Vivian mentally slapped herself for being a little sad there were no more abs calling out to her. She stood there patiently, eyes on the sand, as he picked up the rest of his clothes. "Just clean up and come back, I have something to show you. Oh, and wash these too while you're at it. You cut my time here short." He threw some of his clothes her way and she dropped her own in the poses of catching his. He let out a chuckle as he made his way off the shore. Oh, how he enjoyed toying with her from time to time. But moments like those were what made them closer, right? Friends bicker and tease. Chloe popped into her head and she had to swallow hard to stop the tears.

Vivian would have taken her time washing, still embarrassed from the whole ordeal, but he said he had _'something to show her'_. They were making progress! And she was curious as to what the something might be. As much as she tried to stay calm, her mind was raging with possibilities, each one dismissed before faster than the other. Not even the cool water eased her curiosity, even though she did her best to wash everything well.

Roan smirked the entire way back to the cave. He had noticed her presence from the first time she stumbled onto the shore, but he would have never thought she actually stayed there. He saw the leafs rustle in the same spot when he got out of the water and he almost called her out immediately, but decided to see how bold she actually was. Pretty damn bold apparently! Her flustered face was all worth it. He didn't think he ever saw anyone blush so hard, much less be the cause of it. He'll have to tease her about it some time. He thought about staying behind and returning the favor, watch her for a while from the tree line. He would have done a better job at concealing his presence, too. In the end his legs just kept him walking away, though he would've lied if he said he hadn't regretted that he didn't take a small peak.

Back in his temporary home, he picked up a small bow and a quiver and waited for the sky girl to return, sitting on a log just outside the cave. It was about time he'd show her some basics and see how well she manages. There had to be something she was good at, other than getting herself in trouble. He checked if the glove he'd bought for her was still in the quiver's small side pocket and pulled it out. He hoped it fitted her hand as being too loose or too tight would make handing the arrows hared.

He was expecting her to take longer, but soon enough she emerged from the tree line and made her way closer to the cave. Like a little herbivore, she eyed him cautiously as she placed the washed items to dry off, hanging them on some branches. Roan watched with amusement as her eyes widened considerably when they landed on the weapon he was holding. She made a short leap, obviously excited, but kept a steady pace and a straight face the rest of the way to him. She cleared her throat when in front of him and failed to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"You said you wanted to show me something?"

"Congratulations. You're learning your first weapon today." He got to his feet and shoved the bow in her face, then hung the quiver on her shoulder.

"But… I didn't catch the animal yesterday…"

"No, you sure didn't. But it's not like you can train much for a while with that wound. And the bow won't put too big a strain on you." She eyed him suspiciously for a while and he sighed, making his way to the small practice targets he made for her. Nothing fancy, just tree bark in random shapes that he tied to some other trees. He heard a small yelp before the girl joined him.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She spoke the words so fast it took him a second to register the meaning. Spying her from the corner of his eye he reached a conclusion: he really didn't understand the girl. What was so exciting in learning how to shoot an arrow? Their warriors learn the skill from a tender age. Perhaps it was a novelty to the sky girl, but even so, shooting arrows wasn't exactly exciting, now was it easy.

"You hold the bow like this with your left hand." Roan stepped besides her and stretched her arm forward. "Arrow in your right hand."

"Why not the other way around?" He gave her a worn leather glove. She gleamed with joy as it fit perfectly on her hand. He must have brought it for her at the trading post he talked about.

"You need strength to pull the sting. Feet a little further apart. Face the target like this and pull your hand back." He went round her and straightened her back, pushed her legs and showed her the motions. "Now, try aiming, eyes on the target. Both open, like when you shoot your little gun."

Vivian struggled a little with the string. Damn thing was way tighter than she imagined. The first arrow bounced to the right, between her and the closest tree. Roan nodded to her to try again. This was going to be fun. The next few arrows went a little closer, but she was far from reaching any target anytime soon. She sighed, feeling slightly discouraged.

Roan buzzed around her, pointing out several mistakes she was doing: her shoulders were too high, her muscles too tense, her back not straight enough. He patiently explained again and again the steps she had to follow, but however she did them, arrow refused to fly true. She was becoming a bit exasperated. Shooting the gun hadn't been a piece of cake, but it had been significantly easier; you just pointed the gun. With the bow, it was different, a lot more things mattered, the strength in her arms, the way she inclined the arrow, how far she pulled the sting – which was not very far – and even her posture. It was exhausting and annoying and she didn't know how Roan had so much patience. Not once had he snapped at her for missing the target by far, nor had he anything bad to comment. It was a change from his usual grumpy demeanor. It almost looked like he enjoyed teaching her.

"I'm really bad at this…"

"No one hit the mark from the first try."

"Nor from the hundredth?"

"Didn't know you for a quitter, sky girl." He folded his arms over his chest, looking at her with those piercing eyes of his. Vivian's attention suddenly shifted to his muscular arms, trailing them up and down. She had the urge to have a little feel at them, but managed to snap out of her momentary trance. Hopefully he hadn't noticed, though she somehow doubted that. Lifting her eyes back to his face, she returned to their conversation.

"Why did you decide to teach me how to use this? You could have started with the stick…"

"The bow suits you."

"Because I'm weak and should try to kill the enemy from afar?"

"Because, just like an arrow needs to be pulled back to shoot forward, when life beat you down you stubbornly went ahead, with even more conviction." Vivian was baffled for a moment. Was that… a compliment? Even if it wasn't, it was still a really nice thing to say. And, in some ways, she felt the resemblance and she liked it. She felt the heat creeping up her neck all the way to the tip of her ears. Roan had thought of that particular comparison, he thought of her. Her eyes feel on the dirt beneath her feet and she bit her lip in a nervous habit before she spoke in a weak voice.

"Ah, thank you?"

"Just focus and keep aiming." He came closer and lifted her chin up to look at the target again. "It takes practice until you get accustomed to the weight of the bow, how much you have to pull the string, how far the arrow is going to be sent flying. These things you'll have to understand on your own, as you get familiar with the weapon."

"What if I'm just not cut for it?" She exhaled loudly, aiming the arrow and puling harder on the string, but not setting it free. Roan chuckled a little, the low noise sending a shiver down her spine.

"I trained worst than you, so there's still hope. Don't give up yet."

The arrow sprang loose from between her fingers. It didn't hit the mark, but flew past the tree. A smile spread on Vivian's lips. She could do this! She wanted to. For herself and for Roan, because she was convinced he actually liked teaching her. He 'trained worst' people, probably his people. As the day progressed, Roan giving her different tips and demonstrating a few more times, Vivian was dying with questions about his past. Had he been some kind of fighting instructor? A war general? That would explain his vast knowledge in weaponry and his desire to help the Ice Nation before he had been banished. She almost asked a few times, but, at the end of the day, she kept to herself. He would tell her on his own when the time came, right?

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 **So** , thank you all for the lovely reviews. Sending you my love *hugs*

I was initially thinking of separating them when Roan goes after Clarke, but I didn't see it as an opportunity for Vivian to bound with the others. It's a good idea though, I'll keep it in mind. Also like the idea of Clarke fucking things up :))) definitely going to us this one :))

Also, I made a layout of the story and it's gonna be 20 something chapters, I think. Hope you guys'll stick around till the end. *more virtual hugs*


	10. Cyan Sands

They say "Never apologies for the things that make you happy." Procrastination makes me happy. Kidding, it was rather hard writing this chapter... I don't know why...

 **Hope you enjoy!**

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~ My soul wandered, happy, sad, unending. ~

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Vivian was getting better at the arrow business. She kept practicing every waking hour and only a couple of days later she was hitting the target, even if it was still far from the bull's eye. Roan had been right once again – practice did make perfect. She was slightly annoyed at the grounder for always being right, but there wasn't much she could do except drink in his vast knowledge and hope that one day she will have as much expertise in survival as him.

There was also a slight improvement that Vivian had noticed in Roan's behavior. He was still grumpy and occasionally mean, but he also seemed, for a lack of a better word, brighter. He smiled and laughed more, he talked to her about their daily routine and sometimes even asked her what she'd rather eat or if she'd like doing something in particular. Vivian also thought that he was sincerely enjoying teaching her how to do things, as his eyes would always get gleeful.

Between the shooting practice, Roan had shown her how to make the arrows herself. It was a precaution, something she needed to know in case she ever needed it, though she highly doubted it. Most likely he was bored of doing them and dumped the chore to her. She didn't mind, she actually enjoyed carving the arrows. But, if she ran out of them during a fight, knowing how to make them did her little good. Best to just make sure there were, without fail, a whole bunch of arrows in her quiver before setting out.

She was finishing her training one afternoon when she saw Roan eyeing her from his spot. Her already burning cheeks heated up even more; it happened every time he looked at her recently. She was becoming more aware with each passing day that she was living alone with a man in a relatively small cave. That didn't stop her from trying to catch a better glimpse of the scars on his back. But every time he would start stripping off his clothes his eyes would fall on her, as if daring her to watch him. Sometimes she wished she was bold enough to stare at him while he undressed. After all, he didn't seem to mind the exposure so why wouldn't she enjoy the display? But her eyes would meet his and her resolve would falter as fast as it came.

He was making her extremely self aware. She would only change at night, after the fire was put out or in the morning after he left, she took great care of always having a clean face and clothes, she would keep her hair in neat braids and just generally try and make herself ' _presentable'_ , however she could with the few clothing items she had.

There had been a change in their dynamic, all because of her the little incident at the river and Vivian wasn't sure if she liked it or not. On one hand, Roan had become more open, he talked to her more about everyday things and cracked jokes, most at her expense. On the other hand, she was sort of uncomfortable. She didn't find him handsome, not in traditional way; he was different from the men she usually found attractive; she likes funny guys that made her laugh, with big eyes, dimples and full, ample lips. But somewhere along the way, Roan's piercing blue eyes were all she saw and his thin lips were the most kissable pair she'd ever seen. There was something definitely wrong with her!

There was a longing to reach out and touch his skin that hadn't been there before. And it drove her crazy, especially since she didn't know if she was attracted to him or just wanted some human contact. With the Ark crashing and having to survive the ground, romance hadn't been in her top priorities. But stuck in a small space with a hunky, muscle packed man that would sometimes look at her as if he was undressing her with his eyes did things to her hormones. His eyes following her as she approached him only multiplied the confused thoughts roaring in her head.

Roan watched her as she finished her routine and made her way towards him. He could've sworn her breath caught when she noticed him looking at her and the thought brought a wide grin on his lips. The little sky girl had it badly for him, he was sure of it. She was still bashful, but he'd seen her trying to peek at him and he noticed the blush that always appeared on her cheeks when their eyes would meet.

When Vivian sat down next to him she scooted just a little further than she used to. The frown appeared on his face instantly; he hated when she did that. It made him think she was afraid of him, and after all he'd done for her, that would be just plainly ungrateful. Moreover, besides a few jokes and some _inoffensive_ _teasing_ , he hadn't done anything to her, never even attempted to lay a hand on her in an inappropriate way.

He brushed the thoughts away; it wasn't important, whatever the reason behind her behavior. It wasn't like they would ever be together. For various reasons. He was heir to the Ice Nation, he had responsibilities to his people. An arranged marriage awaited him long before he had been banished and it would still be there when he returned. So anything that might happen between him and the sky girl would be bound to end when he'd leave to go bake home. And he realized he came to care for her, even if he probably didn't show it often. Breaking her heart and trust would be an awful way to end their… friendship. He had already lost enough friends. Best just keep pretending she's one of his Ice Nation recruits.

"You're getting better."

"Thanks to you." She was still not looking at him, eyes casted in the distance, face still flushed. She was rather beautiful like that, all bashful and disheveled, sweaty, with her dark hair messed up. _NO!_ Appealing or not, she would always be a little sky girl! There was no need to complicate their already weird friendship.

"I only showed you the basics. The work is all yours." He really wanted to take his eyes off her, but it was like she'd cat a spell in him. What changed so drastically about her that made the sky girl so irresistible? She took a while to answer and Roan thought she wouldn't continue the conversation.

"Perhaps. But I would've quit before I truly even started. So thank you for encouraging me. And…" He hadn't thought she could get more flustered, but there she was, red all the way to the tip of her ears.

"And?" It came out with a small chuckle, her reaction amusing him to no end. Vivian was… _sweet_. She always had been, he guessed. But now he was seeing it better: her blush, her batting eyelashes, the biting of her lip, her restless fingers fidgeting the helm of her shirt, her pouting mouth when she was debating to ask or not a question.

"Generally, thank you. I'd be dead without you. Literally dead."

"You would have pulled through, I'm sure. You're a stubborn little thing." His hand stretched out and ruffled her already messy hair.

"Stop calling me little, will you? It makes me feel like an infant. And I'm pretty sure I would've found my end on the first day when I wanted to dip my feet in the acid lake. Wow, that seems like ages ago!"

"Speaking of lakes, come on. We have someplace to be." Roan got to his feet and offered his hand to Vivian, her skin on his leaving a tingling sensation.

"Oh, another surprise?"

"You could say that."

"And it has to do with lakes? I'm not sure I want to know…"

"I know you're curious. Come and you shall find out what I have in store for you." It might have come out just a tad too suspicious, but sure enough Vivian was trekking through the woods by his side in no time. They kept going for a few hours, Vivian slowly but surely getting on his nerves, asking every ten minutes if they were there yet. Roan let out a relieved breath when they came out of the forest.

"A lake?" Vivian was surprised and a little worried. Her last encounter with lakes would have ended poorly had it not been for the grounder. She turned her head from the glistering blue surface and watched Roan as he walked closer to the shore. "What are we doing here?"

" _You_ are learning how to swim." Roam started pulling his shirt off and for a second Vivian's brain tuned out. She recovered when she noticed the slick grin he was flashing her way and turned her back to him and the giant puddle behind. Bastard! He was doing all of this on purpose for sure. Over her dead body she'd go in the god-forsaken water.

"Like hell I am! The last lake threatened to liquefy me!" Arms crossed and pouted lips, she felt a bit like a spoiled little child. So Roan's stern reply was somewhat well deserved and only increased her embarrassment.

"Don't make me throw you in." The serious tone in his voice made her turn to him. He was in his shorts and already knee deep in the lake. She already guessed that the water was not harmful there, but seeing the grounder splashing around in it enforced the feeling of security.

And the fact was, she really wanted to swim. On the Ark she would spend entire hours looking at the far-away blue planet and wonder how it would feel like to dip in an ocean. A lake was close enough to that childhood dream. And Roan appeared to like to teach her things, so maybe it was in his benefit as well. Her mind was made; she was going to give it a try.

Now all she had to do was strip and get in.

Vivian shuddered at the thought. She was in no way a prude, but for whatever reasons, she felt incredibly insecure around Roan. Thoughts about him judging her sky-girl body, with close to no muscles and no battle scars. And then there were the marks her skin did bare, proof of her own stupidity and incompetence, of her poorly made choices. She sighed, closing her eyes, and tried to motivate herself to pull the shirt over her head. But she knew she'd never do it, she felt the deep blush of her cheeks and just knew it was impossible to get in the water with _him_.

"We don't have all day." She nearly jumped out of her skin; Roan was standing in front of her, barely a foot away. When had he gotten out of the water?

"Wha- Damn, you're stealthy!"

"I actually made noise on purpose, in hopes you'd just get in the damn water." His arms were folded over his chest and Vivian mustered all her self-control to only look at his face. It didn't help much, as a smile played on his lips and his blue eye bore into hers.

"I… didn't hear anything…"

"You're still not very aware of our surroundings, are you?"

"I guess not."

"Now, tell me, do I have to carry you in?"

"I, uh, will manage on my own. Thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes. You can go ahead, back in the water." He shrugged, still amused, and turned his back. Instinctively almost, Vivian's eyes glued to the scarred skin. She had been right, it was a pattern not some randomly inflicted wounds. She wondered if they meant something or it was all just something grounders did.

As he went in the lake and dipped under the water, Vivian took off her clothes quickly, thankful that he didn't make a point to stare at her as payback for her peeping on him. She kept her bra and panties and thanked herself for liking black so much. Imagine if they were white or some other light color! She tentatively set one foot in the clear water. It was cool, but still warmer than the river water they usually wash in. It was nice. She took a few more steps until the water reached her hips.

"Took you long enough." She lifted her eyes to him and a shiver went down her spine. So close! Maybe it had been a bad decision to go in after all. She could still make a run for it perhaps, but she'd look incredibly silly running in the water. And he'd most likely tackle her before she actually made it out of the lake.

"What now?"

"First things first. You'll learn how to float."

"Yay! More floating." The word left a sour taste in her mouth, despite knowing the meaning differed from what she was accustomed to on the Ark.

"Lean on your back and relax." He did exactly that, staying above the water, his face towards the sky. Then he motioned for her to do the same.

"No way!"

"I'm right beside you. I'll hold you until you get the idea." He stretched his hands behind her as if to catch her. She leaned a bit, dipping her hair in the cool water. She felt Roan's hands on her back and she felt secure for a second. But when he lifted her off the lake's floor she panicked, trashing her hands and panting her feet in the silky sand, then backed away from him a bit.

"I can't do this. I'm sorry!"

"Do you trust me?" His question came out of the blue. She had been so eager to gain his trust that she never stopped to ask herself that. But the answer was clear as daylight. He had saved her more times than she could count, he hadn't pushed her away when she needed to be far from her camp and he was willing to teach her how to survive the ground. He might get grumpy and lose his patience over small things, but Roan was a good person and a good _friend_. There was no reason to believe he'd be nothing but trustworthy.

"I trust you." She lifted her feet off the bottom of the lake, letting him hold her above the water.

"Good. Now keep your body straight and the water will keep you up. Don't panic if your ears get under." She felt his hands lightly on the small of her back. Water was lapping at her face and she closed her eyes. "Just relax."

"Easier said than done…"

"Nothing's gonna happen, I won't let go of you." She really hoped the cool water was keeping her blush at bay, because, even if that statement wasn't meant to be _cute_ , Vivian couldn't recall a moment when he was more _lovable_. Roan - mightily grounder warrior, whispering _sweet_ nothings into her ear. Who would have ever guessed. Lost in thought, Vivian hadn't notice the hands on her back disappear.

"Aaah, Roan?"

"You're going great, sky girl." His voice came from somewhere on her left. She turned her head and the next thing she knew she was under water. It lasted only a second, as she found the bottom and supported herself. She realized Roan was laughing as she tried to get the water out of her ears. Her plated hair was heavy and no longer bound at the end, the braid starting to come undone.

"You liar! You said you wouldn't let go!"

"How are you supposed to learn to do it on your own then?"

"But, you said-"

"The water isn't deep. You wouldn't have drowned even if you wanted to. Come now, try floating on your own this time." She glared at him, trying to concentrate all her hate in the stare. It only seemed to amuse him; she must have looked like some defenseless wet animal. She sighed and leaned back, but went straight underwater.

"I can't!"

"You're not keeping your body straight. Also, try pushing yourself off the ground, don't just lean back." He was confusing. Floating was confusing, she didn't like it. Nevertheless, she did as he said, having decided to never doubt his wisdom. She kept her body as straight as a plank. She thought for a moment that she was going to skink, water splashing against her cheeks. She closed her eyes and held her breath, but he went under, the water only partially covering her ears.

"This isn't very comfortable…"

"Well, you got the hang of it. Let's try something else." Vivian let one of her legs down and planted her foot on the lake's floor before standing completely.

"Some actual swimming maybe?"

"Okay. This is the easiest way to swim; toddlers can do it. With your hands push the water down like this to keep you up. Your legs go up and down to send you forward." He demonstrated and Vivian had to suppress a laugh; he looked kind of silly. "Give it a try."

"Okay, here goes nothing." It was not that hard. But as with most things, she had to ruin it. Instead of heading towards Roan, she 'swam' further offshore. It couldn't have been more than a couple of feet, but, as her limbs tired, her body sank and there was no ground underneath.

She tried calling for Roan and that must have been the stupidest thing she could have done, for water invaded her lungs. She opened her eyes but in her panic everything was blurry. Her hair was floating in her face and she couldn't see where the surface was. She tried pushing through the water desperately, gasping for air but finding only water. Strong arms came around her and she clung to him, her life depending on it. Cold air hit her face and she had never been more grateful to see the setting sun in her life. She coughed up some water and took in shaky breaths.

"Are you alright?" There was something in his voice that didn't allow her to give a mean reply. He'd let her alone again, but he had came to the rescue and he was clearly distressed. "I swear, I get my eyes off you for a second and you're in trouble."

Their eyes met and Vivian's heart gave out for a moment. Roan's brows were furrowed with concern, the corner of his lips downturned. Drops of water rolled down his face. Her eyes followed one until it reached his mouth. She quickly lifted then to his eyes only to catch him staring at her own lips.

The sun was almost gone, taking with it all the sounds. All, except the drumming noise of Vivian's heart. She mentally cursed herself for being so open and expressive. Her hands were still around his neck and she thought of letting go, but the water was too deep for her. She swallowed hard as Roan's hands tightened around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Her eyes darted one last time to his lips before pushing away slightly and clearing her throat.

"I, um, I'm fine now." He was silent, still looking at her with clouded eyes. It both scared and aroused her. How incredibly hot it would be if he kissed her there, in the water, both of them wet and barely clothed. If his hands would roam her body and-

As the last ray of sunlight disappeared, the bottom of the lake went bright. Her eyes bulged as he watched the sand beneath them turn into a vibrant blue, radiating light. It was harder to appreciate how deep it was now, but it was breathtaking. There were little fish swimming peacefully that she did not notice before and some dark patched of plants on the cyan floor. She looked at Roan for an explanation and found nothing left of the drunken expression of his face. Instead he had that aggravating smirk of his.

"This was part of the surprise."

"It's beautiful. But how?"

"Radiation somehow made the sand in the area phosphorescent. The sand on the shore shines, too." She lifted one eyebrow, her lips pushed into a thigh line, but he let out a low laugh. She felt his chest rumbling against her. "Do you really think I would have gone in the water if I thought it dangerous?"

"Well, no, but _radiation_ still sounds pretty bad."

"It's alright, little sky girl, there is nothing dangerous in this lake."

"Except you." Again, the words escaped her before she could think them trough. Roan's smirk widened and his eyes gave a predatory gleam. Or perhaps she was just imagining it, since the glow of the water made the blue of his eyes even more captivating.

"Shouldn't you be scared of dangerous things?"

"I should have, in the beginning. I realize that now."

"In the beginning, but not anymore?"

"Not anymore. Like I said before, I trust you, Roan." She kept his gaze and saw the exact moment his expression turned from amused to serious and then to something else she couldn't quite identify. It looked like e was having some interior conflict and Vivian thought that maybe she said something wrong. To her surprise, he muttered something she would always cherish.

"I trust you too, Vivian."

* * *

 **So** , this took longer for me to write... I kept deleting things, kept changing the direction of the storyline... and I'm still not 100% happy with the result...

Also, I'm running out of colors for the chapter titles :)))

Anyways, hope you liked it and will let me know what you think. *wink*


	11. Blue Balls

Hmm, I feel like I should have worked on this a little more, but it's just so hot here... the laptop is melting my fingertips away :((( I typed half of this on my phone... so...like... excuse any spelling errors *blows kiss*

 _Hope you enjoy **?**_

* * *

~ Even the purest of hearts will devour darkness when starving. ~

* * *

Vivian rested her hands on her knees, bending over. Her legs were shaking slightly and she became a little dizzy when she straightened up again. There was some rustling behind her and as she turned her head around, a spear passed right by her head. She took a second to gulp and draw in one more breath before she sprinted. Leafs were flying around her as she jumped through bushes, some of the sturdier branches leaving red little marks on her exposed face. She heard a grunt behind her and willed her tired legs to go faster, but they refused to cooperate. One thing was certain, she couldn't keep running for long.

She needed a plan.

She was useless at climbing trees, didn't really know the terrain and had absolutely no clue how to lay traps. All she could do, and did until that very moment, was run around in circles so it would be a little harder for the grounder to track her. It had been a great idea so far, but she needed a new one fast, before her legs completely gave in. She saw an old dried up tree white still running like fer life depended on it and a thought sparked to life in her head.

She ran as fast as she could up to a different tree, then quickly doubled back. She dusted the new pair of tracks and threw fallen leaves and sticks around in hopes it would look natural, then hid in the hollowed tree trunk. It was nasty. It smelled foul and some odd resin stuck to her clothes and hair. Well, at least there were no bugs. It wasn't the best plan ever, but she didn't need to fight him. All she had to do was lose him, then get back as quickly as possible to the cave. Of corse, it proved to be easier said than done...

She listened carefully for any sound, but her drumming heart was all she could hear. Taking a few deep breaths and exhaling slowly, Vivian tried to steady her heart beats. After a few moments she closed her eyes, her lids heavy, but snapped them open just as fast as they had shut. There was no time for resting. She had to bee alert at all times. Peering trough the smaller holes in the trunk she watched the tree line carefully to locate her pursuer. Nothing. Not a movement, not a sound.

It was both terrifying and soothing. She was finally able to relax for a moment, but what if she was a sitting duck? What if her location was known and he was just waiting her her to get out, her guard down thinking he was long gone. As her mind was racing with the endless possibilities, she heard a soft rustling outside her smelly hiding place. She lowered her head to peep trough a smaller hole, just in case he found the decaying tree suspicious. If he did as little as glance her way, she'd bolt the other way and hope he was at least a little tired as well.

The grounder was outside, crouching with his back to her tree. He seemed to be following the false trail she had made earlier. A small smile crept on her lips then widened when he moved even further. He looked up the tree she had stopped with the tracks in font of. The foliage was sparse enough for him to see no one was hiding up there. His eyes moved around the other trees for a while before running off in a different direction. A long breath escaped her lips when she could no longer see him. She was safe. Her head fell backwards and she rested to on the sticky tree bark, not really carrying how incredibly slimy it was. She needed a bath regardless of the yellow goo she was getting on herself. Thinking she should still wait a bit longer before making her way back, she did the one thing she was not supposed to do. She let her guard down. She was not entirely sure where the hand that grabbed her by the collar of her jacket came from. One moment she was resting in the hollowed tree, the next she was being thrown down on the dirt, a spear pressed between her shoulder blades.

"You're dead. Congratulations. " She rolled over when the pressure of the blade was lifted. Roan was looking at her mightily irritated.

"I almost had you."

"Not even close. " He offered her a hand and she took it with the little energy she had left. He had to steady her after he pulled her up too fast, the forest spinning with her.

"You knew the entire time that I was hiding there?" When he nodded she felt the blood rushing to her head but wether it was from embarrassment or fatigue she couldn't tell. "What gave me away?"

"I saw you." She sighed in defeat. She knew he had been holding up; if he had indeed wanted to, he could have captured her, dead or alive, hours ago. Even with the headstart he had granted her. But she had hoped until the last minute that she hadn't been completely outmatched. She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest; she felt like a little kid playing at the grown ups' table.

"Fine. You win." He raised an eyebrow and gave her that look again, the one she hated, the one that suggested he thought she was all sorts of stupid. Vivian had a strong desire to punch him square in his nose and deal with the consequences later.

" _This_ was not supposed to be a game."

"I know, I know. I took it seriously, I swear. But let's face it. I'm no match to you, or any other grounder out there."

"True." Vivian's eyes found the ground. She said the words herself, but hearing him agree brought a different kind of disappointment. She wanted him to believe in her, in the stubbornness to achieve what her mind was set on despite all odds. She needed him to support her when she lost faith in herself. His fingered grasped her chin and lifted her head, forcing her to look at him. "But you're getting better. I'll make a warrior out of you soon enough."

His words made her feel giddy on the inside. She smiled at him and gave a curt nod as a response, not fully trusting her voice. He released her chin and brushed away a stray lock of hair. She would've thought the gesture sweet, hadn't his fingers gotten stuck in the yellow resin that covered her from head to toe. He pulled a bit, already frowning at the situation.

"Ah, about that..."

"I get there was not much dirt on that Ark of yours."

"Nope, not really. Mostly sparkly steel walls and floors."

"That explains why you love getting dirty so much." He surprised her with a low chuckle that rumbled in his throat. She felt her face heating and wished he wasn't standing so incredibly close to her. He could probably hear the her drumming heart and she really didn't want to give the grounder another reason to tease her.

"Let me." She brought her own hands to tug at her hair, but Roan had somehow managed to coil her hair around two of his fingers. The goo was sticky and held her tassels firmly. "How on Earth did you get it so tangled?" It had been stuck rather close to her face so it was hard to actually see what she had to do.

"You're doing it wrong and only hurting yourself." His other hand joined in the mess and pushed her hands away. He was surprisingly gentle. For some reason she envisioned him getting angry and just pulling his stuck hand away. But Roan took with care small portions of the glued hair and pulled it slowly. Vivian could only stare at his face, his lips pressed tight, his eyes sharp and brows slightly furrowed in concentration. She eyed the crescent scars on his temples and wished her hands were not so dirty so she could trace them. When he was done, he tossed it over her shoulder. "You should wash that before it dries off."

His eyes traveled over her, probably assessing the damage and nothing more, but Vivian was suddenly aware of how incredibly disgusting she must have looked. Sweaty, red faced and covered in some yellow tree puke that she didn't care to know what exactly it was. Knowing her luck it was most likely something disturbing. But Roan was inches away from her, his icy blues peering into her very soul and she couldn't look away. Why was he so ruggedly handsome and strong? If she took a step towards him she could glue her body to his; at least something good would come out of all that 'training'. When his eyes closed and he took a deep breath Vivian felt a small pang of pain and took a step back. Her eyes lowered once again to the ground and she had to clear her throat before speaking.

"Yeah, I should go clean myself up." She started walking and was a bit startled when he joined besides her.

"Don't take too long."

"Why?" She eyed him suspiciously, one brow lifted. The smirk playing on his lips spoke of mischief and torture awaiting for her.

"We have more training to do. The day is young."

"But we've been running around all morning? Are not even a _little_ tired?"

"I thought you'd be more excited. After we eat I was thinking I'd show you some defense moves you could use."

"Like... close quarters? Hand to hand combat?" His laugh was ever so enchanting. His hand reached her but backed away at the last moment and Vivian thought he might have wanted to ruffle her hair like he seemed to enjoy doing, but stopped due to the resin she was covered in.

" _Combat_ is a big word for suck a little sky girl."

"Again with the 'little'. I'm only a couple of years younger and you know it!"

"You're a newborn compared to me, _little_ sky girl." She was angry, but Roan had such a calm and cheerful expression that she couldn't stay so for long. He was only teasing, she knew that. She sometimes wondered if he even saw her as a woman or just a little girl. He was confusing. He's look at her like wanted to eat her alive and then, in a blink of her eyes, it would all be gone. He'd caress her face making her dream of his touch, then ruffle her hair like a child's. What was she supposed to understand? It was already difficult for her to understand her own feelings. His mixed signals were driving her insane. "What are you thinking of with such conviction?" Oh, if only he knew...

"Huh? Umm, I was wondering...when you throw sharp things at me, is there even a small chance you might actually impale me? Just curious. "

"You doubt my precision?"

"No, no, I would never. But I was sort of picturing you getting bored of pretending to miss me." His brow lifted and Vivian thought he was trying to look offended, but was failing miserably. The proud smirk was a dead give-away that he could have landed a spear or even a dagger in her skull if the chase had been for real. The rest of the walk to the cave was friendly banter and one too many joke about the state of her clothes and hair. After she gathered some changes, Vi hurried to the river to wash quickly. Unbeknownst to her, steel eyes followed her retreating form until she dissipated between the trees.

Roan frowned as soon as Vivian was out of the cave. He looked after her for a while, his gaze landing on her behind more than a few times. He shook his head and with a sigh he sat down. He felt the little control he had slipping away with every batting of her lashes, with every bounce of her hips and every silly laughter. It was loneliness, he knew that; there was a void inside him and she could fill it for a while perfectly. But what would happen after that? After he went back to be the prince of his nation. He'd have to leave her behind. He was training her for that exact moment when she'd either be on her own or have to return to her own people where she belonged.

He unpacked the meat that was left from that morning's game and tried to keep his mind busy, but everything around that cave was reminding him of his feisty sky girl. _His_. A curse escaped his lips and he brushed his hand over his hair. He wanted to reason with himself, come to the final and _correct_ conclusion that she was not for him. Vivian was _not his_ anything; not his kin and definitely not his woman! But the more he sorted though his feelings the more he thought about her. He envisioned her big gentle eyes and warm smile, the way she'd shiver sometimes when he brushed his hand past her soft skin and how she'd bite that quivering lip when she was lost in thought or overwhelmed. He punched the hard stone wall; he had to stop placing her on a pedestal. She was not even half as beautiful as the women in the Ice Nation.

That notion, along with the pain in his knuckles, made his train of thoughts stop. Why did he think that? _What_ exactly made her less beautiful, less worthy of appraise? She was not as strong as the women he was used to seeing, that much was true. She was training hard, though, and sooner or later she would be a match for any grounder. But, other than that, what was flawed? He couldn't care less for scars or bruises. In fact, Vivian could use some more, but that could easily be resolved. Her face was pretty and once his eyes would fall on her pouty lips he could hardly think of anything other than kissing them. He dreamt of burying his face in the crook of her neck and nuzzle her silky hair. He would lay in his cot at night and wish she'd be just a little closer so his arms could snatch her and cage her body against his.

"Hey! Are you okay?" His eye, that closed shut at some point, widened in surprise at the sound of her voice. The image before him did little to help the already lost battle he was fighting with himself. She cleaned up rather nicely, the new shirt she was wearing already wet on the shoulder where drips fell from her hair. It was a black mess of tangled teasels, but she looked ravishing nevertheless. What had ever made him think she was anything less than beautiful? "Roan?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You sure took your time." He turned and sat in his usual spot, taking some of the meat and passing the rest to her. He had to calm his raging mind before he did something they'd both regret later.

"What are you talking about? It wouldn't have been humanly possibly to get done any sooner." Her small fingers brushed innocently against his as she took the food. Or was she perhaps doing it on purpose?

"Is that so?"

"You had to see how freaking hard it was to get that stupid goo out of my hair." Had to see? Her naked, her hands roaming her body, droplets of water rolling down her skin? He smirked, the image of Vivian bathing persisting in the back of his head.

"You should have said you wanted my help. It wouldn't have been a burden." She pursed her lips and blushed, looking lost for a second. Vulnerable and bashful. He could so easily have her.

"I believe it's not part of your 'training program'."

"No, it's not. But other thing are." He got up and made his way outside. He reasoned that he had to focus on the important thing, her training. Vivian made her way to him, gathering her hair in a high ponytail. It suited her, though he liked her best with it loose. For the thousandth time that day, Roan struggled to concentrate. "There are a few moves you could use if you're ever caught. You're not too tall and fairly weak-"

"Jee, thanks for the vote of confidence..." She roller her eyes and folded her arms. She tried to look unaffected, but she always sulked a little when he reminded her how frail she really was. He shook his head and continued.

"But you can use that to your advantage. Imagine I'm coming at you." He lifted his arms as if to grab her but didn't move his feet. "What do you do in this situation?"

"I run like hell?"

"How did that work out for you today?"

"Fine, smart guy. What do I do?"

"You duck. Big, scary enemy will think you'll run, so you lower your body and strike for his chin. Come on, try it out." She bit that damn lip pf hers before taking one step towards him and doing as he instructed. Her palm barely touched his chin before retreating.

"Like that?"

"You got the move, but try adding a little force to it." She sighed and went at it again, this time pushing his head backwards. Her body came closer to his and his lips quirked into a sad smile. He was digging his own grave, wasn't he? "Good. Now there are other things you can do when the opponent is stronger than you. Go for the eyes or throat. Even bite the ears if you have to." She looked at him like he was crazy for suggesting such a barbarous thing, making him frown. Before he had the chance of scolding her she sighed loudly.

"Okay, I get it. Even if they seem like cheap blows."

"The fight is already unfair since you were not properly prepared for it. Now, if you're caught from behind." He grabbed her arm and spun her around earning a small yelp from her. Her back pressed to his chest distracted him for a moment, her squirming only making his pants tighten. "That's not effective. What you want to do is bring your elbow backwards to hit me in the face."

"You can read a woman mind, can't you?" Her tone was jovial as she did as instructed. His first instinct was to play along and tease her. but he knew it would be a terrible idea. Her behind was firmer than he expected against him and he had to loosen his hold on her, pushing her a bit forward and holding her hands behind her. "You can go for the legs if your arms are caught and once you get free, hit hard in the face with the elbow."

She was a good little sky warrior. She listened to him and did exactly as told. Roan showed her a few more techniques, walking her trough the basics. Her cheeks were flushed and her brows were furrowed in concentration as she took his arm and twisted it. Well, he let her twist it. She was grinning ear to ear when she had finally gotten the move. He just couldn't resist countering it. Breaking free from her delicate hands, he turned to face her and pinned her arms behind with one hand. His other hand unhooked the small knife from his belt and brought it to her neck. She looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and bewilderment.

"Now, that wasn't nice. You could have warned me." Her mouth moved, instantly catching his attention. He trailed the blade on the tender skin and she gulped. So close, her face inches from his. Her lips were inviting and he thought she was thinking of the same thing, as she kept glancing down and biting those lips as she always did when trying to decide on something. Her voice broke the spell, bringing his glazed ones to her serious stare.

"I'd headbutt you, but I don't want to hurt you…or myself." Oh, but her words brought a different kind of pain. Roan was torn between laughing and showing her how a proper headbutt was done. He ended up doing neither, just glared at her like she said the most stupid thing ever. "You don't have to look at me like that, I was kidding. You could teach me how to headbutt without breaking anything of my own, though." Roan rolled his eyes and smacked his head lightly to hers, dropping the blade and pushing her with his left hand. Vivian was taken aback and stumbled on her own feet before falling on her ass.

"You're dead again." Roan pinched the bridge of his nose. She was getting under his skin. Scratch that, she was already under there, making him imagine all sorts of sinful activities he'd do with her. She was weak and needed him to teach her how to survive, not fuck her. That lone thought brought a series of questions and images he had no time for at that particular moment. He grunted, annoyed at the effect Vivian had on him lately.

"Well, at lest it was by your hands." She dramatically placed the back of her hand to her forehead and feigned dying with a soft whimper, sprawled on the dry ground. He cursed under his breath. The sounds she could make while his hands traveled that body. He would make her moan and beg for him and he'd obey her every little desire. Would it be that bad? He could even take her with him. She'd never be queen, but she'd be at his side. Safe and _his_. Before he could act on his desires, the image of his mother driving a knife in Vivian's chest stopped his train of thoughts. She'd be dead the second his mother would take notice of the little sky girl; it was a fact. He kicked her in her side not too gently and she let out a different kind of squeal.

"It's not time for rest yet. What do you think it's most important when fighting?"

"Hmm, not falling? "

"Wrong."

"Of course I am wrong. When am I ever ri-"

"Everyone is bested sooner or later, everyone has a bad day and finds himself with his face in the dirt. The _trick_ is getting back up." Roan offered her a hand and as she took it and got to her feet, he braced himself for _a long day_ of training. He managed to stay level headed, pushing away all thoughts about Vivian's curvy ass and pouty lips. The notion of the Ice Nation queen putting an end to the sky girl's life killed any desire that arose when she was close to him. For a short while at least.

As the moon replaced the sun in their sky and Roan was once again in his cot, he found _an even longer night_ awaited him.

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 **So** , it was very hard for me to write this since I only wanted to write the next chapter :)) But, yeah, hope it came out alright.

Let me know how weird and all over the place this was :P

Also, If any of you are actually reading the names of the chapters... the answer is "Yes, I kept the color blue just for Blue Balls" He he :))


	12. Obsidian Clouds

Umm sorry for the... uum... long wait? he...he..

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~The worst battle is between what you know and what you feel~

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"I wonder how they're doing."

To say that her statement took him by surprise was an understatement. Roan supposed it was normal, they were her people after all, but it never dawned on him that Vivian would get homesick one day, that she'd get bored of seeing only his face every waking moment. It hadn't once occurred to him that she'd want to return to the sky people at some point.

"You could go back." She fixed her eyes on him, full of hurt and perhaps annoyance. "Just to check on them and maybe take some things. You need some new boots." He pointed at the rugged old things, barely holding together. He had looked for a pair at the trading posts he visited, but never found anything worth taking.

"I guess I could..." Her expression softened, replaced by a faraway look and Roan was somewhat happy that she wasn't jumping with excitement at the prospect of seeing her kin again.

"You don't _have to_ go if you don't want to." There was a small shred of hope in his voice and he cursed himself internally. Why was he so keen on keeping her there? The best prospect for both Vivian and himself was for her to rejoin the sky people she came to the ground with.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just that… No, I should just go. Like really fast; in and out. See if they have a pair of shoes my size to spare, then come back. Maybe some bullets for my gun, too." She gave a small nod, like she was trying to confirm it to herself that she was indeed doing it. Roan watched as the sky girl paced around the cave and try to make her bag. She kept putting in and taking back out various things – things she wouldn't need, like a blanket, water, another flashlight. Every second she spend still deciding, lingering there in the cave, made him uneasy. Thoughts he didn't want crept in his mind and clouded his judgment.

Maybe she'll like it there better. What if she wouldn't come back? Well, it would be for the best. He wouldn't have to worry about getting too accustomed to having her around, wouldn't have to stop his hands from wandering too far every time they trained. The image of his mother driving a spear through Vivian would finally stop plaguing his sleep. But what of him? Alone again in the middle of the forest, he could once again give his full attention to getting his banishment lifted. All would be well again.

He smiled at her when she was finally finished with her pack, forcing the edges of his mouth at first. It then grew into a smirk when he saw that she left everything on her cot. The backpack on her shoulder was empty.

"Don't you think you packed too heavy?"

"Nah, more space to haul things back here." His smile only grew and he closed the distance between them, which registered in his head as a mistake a little too late. He ruffled her hair and tried not to look her in the eyes. He was conscious of her brown orbs watching him with care.

"I'd tell you to stay out of trouble, but I know you won't." He wanted to sound casual, but as the words left his mouth he realized he was right – Vivian did, for a fact, attract trouble. Maybe he should go with her, at least close to her camp. He could even wait for her to be done with the entire thing and they could both come home. Home? When had that stupid cave become _home_? He should look for a different place soon.

"Oh come one, I'm doing better. You taught me a lot, I'm sure I'll be fine on my own." He lifted a brow and almost scoffed, but she averted her eyes and added in a lower voice. "Besides, it's not like you'll always be there to watch over my shoulder." He should have been relieved. And perhaps, to some degree, he was. But her statement only angered him. An irrational anger, he knew, but it was burning hot nevertheless. Hadn't he established that he was going back to the Ice Nation and that there was no place for her there? Naturally, Vivian was right, he won't always be there to protect her. As soon as he would once again be entitled to the throne, it would be dangerous for her to be around him. And he would be looked down upon for associating with the likes of her, especially by his grudge holding mother and queen.

"No, I won't. That's why I've been training you." He saw her eyes widen for a moment, but if she had anything to complain about she didn't pres on the matter. Instead, she nodded once and took a step back, a half smile on her face.

"Well, um, I'm off then. Wish me luck." She waved her right hand and turned around before Roan could replay anything. He followed her with his eyes until she was lost between the trees. His head was spinning. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down at the entrance of the cave. The late morning sun was yet to reach the highest point in the cloudless sky. It shouldn't take her long, she should get back around night fall. He thought of trailing her, just to be sure, but he pushed it aside fast. For the hundredth time, he repeated to himself that _he was not her keeper_. Deciding not to waste his day worrying, Roan got to his feet and planed his day ahead. It was due to visit one of the trading posts closer to his _actual home_.

Vivian's steps had slowed down considerably as she made her way to her people's camp. She was already dreading the idea. She pictured Abby's concerned face and the pile of questions she'd face once people realized she just reappeared there out of the blue. She was quite curious of how things have developed, if the delinquents were still trapped in Mount Weather or if there was peace, but not that much as to be excited to go back. Her farewell with Roan also dimmed her mood. She managed to anger him and she wasn't really sure what she said to do so. Some part of her wanted to believe he'd been offended by the idea that they weren't going to always be together, but she was enough of a realist to know it was only wishful thinking on her behalf. He had been fine before she got to the ground and will continue to be alright if they would part ways. Vivian just wished it won't ever come to that. Even if he would manage to get his banishment lifted, she hoped he'd take her with. Who would have a problem with one young woman joining them? She'd earn her stay, work and help as much as asked of her.

A sigh escaped her lips. It was all wishful thinking and it all depended _if_ Roan actually wanted to take her with him, _if_ his banishment would be no more. It was all worthless over thinking at that moment; no need to dwell on it too long. She lifted her eyes and saw the gate of the camp between the trees. She braced herself for the flux of people roaming around, but it never came.

A lone guard spared her a look and nodded for her to pass the open gates. Most of the camp was empty and Vivian had a thousand questions. She looked left and right while heading to her old room in hopes of seeing anyone remotely familiar. Passing by a particularly noisy tent she decided to check it out. A girl around her age was giving instructions to someone over the radio. She heard the words 'Mount Weather' and was preparing to enter the tent to ask about the situation, but stopped at the last minute. The girl seemed to have enough on her plate. She was about to head further in camp, but when she turned to leave she bumped into someone.

"Ah, sorry. I wasn't looking." She caught herself before she completely lost balance and was glad the other girl didn't fall either. Looking at her better, she realized she knew her. The Blake sister.

"It's alright." The other brunette seemed to search her mind for something before adding happily. "Vivian, right? I'm Octavia."

"Nice to meet you… But how did you know who I was?" Vivian only knew the other girl by name and was sure they never talked before."

"Chloe used to talk about you all the time. I'm sorry, by the way. I heard from Dr. Griffin she died." Vivian found she had to clear her throat before being able to talk. As soon as she heard Chloe's name she felt dizzy.

"Oh, yes… reapers surrounded us in the forest." She noticed Octavia's featured harden and she wondered if she'd lost anyone to those horrendous beasts. The hurt in the girl's eyes made her change the subject.

"What happened here? Where is everyone?" It wasn't probably the smartest approach, as Octavia's brows furrowed in disbelief.

"You don't know? Where have you been hauling up until now?"

"Well… it's a rather long story."

"You can tell me all about it on the way to Tondc and I'll fill you up on what you've missed."

"Tondc?"

"Yeah, it's were everyone's at. They're preparing to attack Mount Weather." The girl started walking towards the gate and Vivian reluctantly followed. She only wanted to ' _borrow'_ some things and go back to Roan. "You know how to ride?" Looking at Octavia she noted she was talking about the horses.

"No. Never had the chance to learn." She made a mental note to ask Roan if they could do that next. Horse riding seemed like something fun _and_ useful. Off course they would need at least one horse for that; maybe they'll let her take one. ' _Borrow'_ it for a while.

"That's fine, you can ride with me."

A short while later, Vivian found herself on a horse with Octavia Blake, riding though one of the forests on the ground. If anyone would have told her about it months ago, when they were still on the Ark, she would have deemed them mental. Or with a really wild imagination. But there she was, horseback on Earth, her arms wrapped around the other girl's waist, heading for what once was Washing _ton D.C_. Like she promised, Octavia told her all about the Commander's betrayal, the delinquents still being trapped and her brother infiltrating to rescue them. All the while Clarke Griffin was negotiating other terms with the Commander. Vivian wondered for the millionth time, who died and made Clarke leader? There was something very infuriating about that girl.

"There's something else you should know." She waited for Octavia to continue, but the girl didn't seem too comfortable talking about whatever it was.

"You don't have to tell me-"

"I know, but you'd probably want to know." She took in a deep breath before continuing. "The reapers, they were made that way. By the people from Mount Weather."

"Made?"

"Yes, some kind of drug. They were normal once. Grounders. So, if you want to blame anyone, it should be those creepy mountain men." Vivian was lost for a moment. The information, did it help? Did it matter anymore? Chloe was still dead, still at the hands of those atrocities. There was only one good thing she could think of.

"After the mountain men will be defeated, there will be no more reapers, right?"

"I sure hope so. Dr. Griffin even managed to cure someone." The way she said that gave Vivian the impression that ' _someone'_ was important to Octavia.

"Well then, I hope you win."

"You? Not we?"

"Um… well."

"So, Vivian, where were you all this time?" There was something playful in Octavia's voice, something inviting, that made Vivian open up.

"I had to leave. After Chloe… There was nothing left for me in that camp." There was a short silence that made Vivian think the conversation had ended. So when the girl in front spoke again it took her by surprise. Either the question or the girl's calm tone made things worse, Vivian's poor heart running a mile a minute for no obvious reason.

"Is he treating you right?"

"What!?"She tried to hide the agitation in her voice, but from the other girl's laugh she did a pretty crappy job. How did she know? Vivian heard that Octavia had grounder friends and was a supporter of their alliance. She even gathered that she was in love with one named Lincoln. That didn't explain how she knew about _her_ grounder.

"Chloe told me once. Wanted my opinion actually, on your safety out in the forest running around with grounders."

"Oh." There wasn't much else she could say. She knew Chloe had been worried, but didn't realize she went as far as ask Octavia. Her best friend didn't relay much on others; growing up as an orphan did that to people. Sensing the gloomy mood, Octavia turned the subject back to Roan.

"So, tell me about this mysterious grounder that saved your life?"

"How much did she tell you?"

"Not much really. Just that he saved you a couple of times and that you kept going in the woods to meet him. Made it all sound like a forbidden romance."

"Ugh, it's not like that. I don't think he's interested; I'm probably still just a lost little sky girl. But Roan's a great person. He helped me more than I could ever repay him. And he's been teaching me how to fight and survive out here."

"How did you convince him to train you? I've been trying to get Indra to help me, but so far she'd turn me down."

"Indra? Why not ask Lincoln?" Vivian hoped to stray the conversation away from herself and back to Octavia. It wasn't that she wanted to hide anything, but she was extremely unsure what her position with Roan was.

"He taught me for a while. But he can't right now. He helped Bellamy get into Mount Weather, but he got caught. They drugged him…" The dots connected in Vivian's head and she couldn't suppress the gasp.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. He's going to be alright. But he said it'd be wiser if someone else trained me for a while."

The rest of the way to Tondc was covered in silence. Vivian wanted to ask Octavia if she had heard anything about Roan or about banished grounders, but she thought he wouldn't appreciate her inquiring about his past. She also preferred hearing the whole story from him _when_ he would wish to share it with her.

She parted ways with Octavia at the entrance of the village, the girl's mind clearly clouded by the memory of her lover turned into a monster. Vivian couldn't even begin to comprehend how that would feel. She pondered once more if she craved vengeance on the mountain men for Chloe. Would it help, slaughtering nameless faces? She felt like she owed it to Chloe, but also that her dear friend wouldn't want that. She could almost hear Chloe's nagging voice, warning her to stay out of trouble. Yes, she would never forgive Vivian if she did something stupid like that. Besides, once the mountain men would be defeated, the reapers would go extinct. That was good enough. Right?

Weak smile on her face, Vivian looked around, really looked for the first time.

People were buzzing around her, each with purpose. Some were carrying things, others were barking orders. A few grounders were checking their weapons, one even practicing a few moves with a spear. Guards were posted at the entrance of a big tent, and for a second Vivian thought she saw Clarke's blonde mane go inside. A whole town filled with grounders and sky people alike, seemingly working in perfect sink. Everyone already had a position, a role, a task at hand. And there _she_ was, with not the slightest idea how to blend in, how to help, be useful.

It was as if she was outside, looking in.

The whole thing reminded her of Chloe and how they first met in class. Everyone was picking a partner and Vivian was just starring around, unsure of how to approach anyone. Until a blond little angel sat beside her and never really left. Vivian's breath caught in her throat, the ground spinning with her for a second.

She didn't belong there. Never had! Only Chloe had made things bearable, made her fit in by association and nothing else. It was stupid of her wanting to come back, but perhaps she needed to see it one more time. The edges of her puzzle piece were different than anyone's there. Did they match Roan's? Perhaps not, but at she had something to learn from him and they could keep each other company until the time for them to part would come. Maybe that wouldn't be for a while longer. There were many unknowns, but one thing was clear to Vivian. Her place, in that moment, was with Roan.

An eerie silence surrounded him, reminding him of the time before the sky girl came into his life. It had been a dark time, the need to go home consuming his every thought. He almost got killed a couple of times when he ventured in the Commander's capital, despite the clear warnings to never return there. He would have gone again, if not for the little sky girl.

In a way she helped, he supposed. Kept him busy, gave him something else to do besides curse his mother and plot his comeback. But maybe it was time for them to go back to their business. Hadn't he wasted enough time playing trainer for the damn girl?

Roan sighed and left the cave. Who was he trying to fool? He liked having Vivian around, he got attached to her. She was… nice. Funny, stubborn beyond reason. Beautiful. They worked well together. She was not in awe of him for his title, didn't dream to be Queen as the women back home did. She was in awe with him because he was strong. She teased him and sometimes crack mean jokes. Vivian made him feel needed, alive. He wondered when he had forgotten that feeling. Before or after his dear mother slaughtered some of his closest friends?

He reached his destination, putting a stop to his previous thoughts. In front of him stood an old abandoned building. Once, it may have been tall, but when Roan found it only had two stories left. It was perfect, he was thinking of changing the scenery from that crappy cave they were using. The outside was camouflaged, the walls darkened with time and filled with vines. But the inside was pretty decent. The windows needed new shutters and some dusting was due. Sky girl could come in handy there. He smirked, imagining her put and comment about how she gets to do boring jobs.

The building was also closer to the Ice Nation border. He knew it was dangerous there, for both of them, but he had to get back somehow to fixing his banishment problem. Baby steps, but steps nevertheless. He'd bring Vivian there the next day and see if she'd like it. _If_ she would come back at all.

Shaking his head, he exited the building, pulling the rusted metal doors behind him. As he exited, he noticed something different. It should have been dark already, but the world around him lit in an odd light. He didn't have time to think much on the matter, as a deafening sound followed. He spotted the fires in the distance and the thick smoke already clouding the starry sky.

It was close to Mount Weather, from what he could tell. What on Earth could cause a fire to spread out like that? Perhaps something the sky people brought with them? And if so, surely Vivian was far away from that place, right? A new sense of dread filled his heart. No, she was already back at their stupid little cave, safe and sound. He should just go back there. He cursed under his breath and jogged towards the fires. Damn sky girl can't stay out of trouble! She was probably in the center of it all.

His jog broke into full speed running, jumping over twisted roots and ducking under low branches. It was still dark, but as he got closer the fire lit the forest. And screams filled it too. He scouted the area, careful not to be seen. But he was sloppy, his mind going places. He had to know if she had been there, if she was still alive.

"Who the hell are you?"He turned as the woman's voice startled him. She was a sky girl, Vivian's people.

"I'm looking for Vivian." When he heard her name in his own voice a wave of guilt struck him. The girl before him lifted her eyebrows as if his statement explained everything, then drew them together in concern. The guilt intensified tenfold. He should have told her to stay!

"She was in town last I saw. I'm sorry."His mind went black for a moment. He turned to watch the scorching fires, he listened to the agonizing moans, smelled the roasted skin and charred wood. His stomach twisted, despite his mind telling him he had seed worse. "I got out, she might have as well." There was hope in her voice, the kind you have when the chances are too slim to even consider, when 'hope' is the only thing left. Roan turned his back and made his way to his place. He thought the girl shouted something after him, but he wasn't sure. Too many voices filled the woods. Too many thoughts twirled in his head, none forming something coherent. His feet carried him to the cave and when his eyes lifted his heart almost stopped.

Light was coming out, shadows dancing in it. Someone was inside. She had to be inside. Roan dashed at the entrance, not fully daring to _hope_ , but wanting it to be true. And there she was, at the very back of the cavern, hanging her jacket from the blunt end of a spear. She turned, eyes wide, then her expression softened, her lips even daring to curve into a small smile. Then her nose wrinkled and she waved her hand in front of it.

"You smell horrible."

In four long steps he was besides her, pushing her against the wall and crashing his lips to hers.

She didn't pull away.

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 **OK** , so, I'm pretty sure I should have worked on this a little more too. But I had the first part written and rewritten a few times... 3 months ago...That's kinda why it took so long... this is mostly a filler-y chapter, to catch up with the show. Mostly. No really. I don't know.

But I had a little spare time and wanted to finally post this [again,not really, I'm already an hour late and still need to wash my hair before I leave the house... _ BUT I POSTED THIS! ]

Next chapter continues exactly from where this one ends. *kisses*

Oh yes, as always, please ignore the typos *virtual hugs*


	13. Green Lights

Ok, this is a liiiiittle shorter, cause it was kinda supposed to be in the last chapter, but I decided to move it here. he he.

That being said... **M!**

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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 _~ We both know how this ends, but sometimes madness is common sense. ~_

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For a moment she thought she was dreaming; it certainly wouldn't have been the first time. The smell of smoke was new but she couldn't deny the weird appeal it had. Roan pulled her in a tight embrace and she felt her whole body vibrate, dizziness washing over her. Before she knew it, his hands were buried in her hair and his lips were molding to hers. And she was kissing him back, with a fervor matching his own. Weeks, if not months, of built up tension released in that simple gesture. It wasn't the perfect kiss she'd sometimes dream of at night, yet it was a million times better. Needy, sloppy and wet, but entirely real.

When they stopped, Vivian got a small chance to gather her thoughts. What the hell had gotten into him? First he pushes her away, now he kisses her like there's no tomorrow. And she still knew close to nothing about him. He was bad news, the bad boy her mother would have warned her about and her father would have try to scare away from his baby girl. Looking into his stormy eyes all she could see was a hunger that was probably reflecting in her own orbs too. Hunger and confusion.

"You're gonna break my heart." It wasn't a question, but a simple fact, a feeling etched in her bones, a story as old as time - she was a naive girl and he was the tall dark and handsome stranger. It was bound to either be forever or end up in fucking heartache. She didn't thinks she was particularly lucky in the romance department for them to end up as a fairy tale couple. Roan's eyes widened, as if caught red handed, but didn't loosen his grip on her. If anything, he held a little tighter. He lowered his head and kissed the skin above her heart, mumbling softly.

"Why would I do that when I work so hard to keep it beating?" For the savage they were being portrayed as, the grounders sure knew how to charm the panties off the ladies. After all, weren't words what actually undressed a woman? Vivian, in her already dazed state, was dumbstruck for a second. It didn't help at all that Roan was kissing his way up her neck. She knew she had a few solid reasons to push him away, but they flew out the cave entrance when he uttered those sweet words. His also solid chest helped tip the scale in favor of losing herself completely under the skillful touches of the grounder. And it was exactly what she did.

He captured her lips again, one of his hands slid down her back, slowly, all the way to her waist. Her own arms flung around his neck, but soon found themselves at the helm of his shirt. Her fingertips were eager to explore the toned muscles she already knew hid under the fabric. Damned clothes were in the way; she wanted nothing more than to feel his skin against hers. He must have felt the same, as his lips left her only to pull his top off. As a moth drawn to the flame, her hands traced the hard muscles of his chest, mapping it all in her memory, scars and all.

Roan couldn't remember the last time he had felt like that, as if he had been parched and finally took a swing from the water that had been right in front of him. But he was not going to stop just after a few gulps. Oh no, he was going o drink every last drop and then some. He resisted the urge to rip her clothes off just barely. He had a solitary thought of being more gentle so he wouldn't scare her away, but to hell with that! She seemed more than willing. So her top came off fast, followed by her bra. Oh, how he dreamed of those perfectly round breasts of hers. He groped her ass and lifted her, lean legs instantly wrapping around his waist, brushing against his throbbing member. He brought his mouth to one of her mounds, a hand to the other. Vivian arched her back, pushing herself to him. Her breath was becoming more ragged by the second. He sucked and teased her nipples until they were nice and perky.

"Roan..." He wished she's always say his name like that, with a lewd voice filled with want for him and only him. He grunted in acknowledgement, not releasing the nipple between his lips. Her hands rested on his shoulders for support as she rolled her hips. He bit into the soft flesh of her breast, as gently as he could. She moaned, her nails digging in his shoulders. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, a smirk playing on his lips.

He was about to protest when she pushed away from him, but didn't get the chance to, all words dying in his throat. Vivian worked fast on the ties of his pants, loosening them so her hand could slip in. She pumped gently, making him close his eyes. His forehead rested of hers, their heavy breaths mixing. He grabbed her hand as she was picking up the pace. He had other plans for her.

She didn't waste any time. As his eyes fluttered open, he saw she was already opening the buttons of her pants. She pushed pass him, taking her boots off first, then sliding her bottoms over her ass. He swallowed hard as the fabric was slowly peeled away from her skin, leaving her stark naked before him. She turned her head, dark eyes and flushed cheeks reinforcing the idea that she indeed craved him. He lost his shoes and rest of his clothes and was behind her in no time. He planted a kiss on the nape of her neck and felt her shudder under his touch. He savored every little shake and moan he got out of her. One hand snaked on her skin with a clear destination in mind. He slid his fingers between her legs and she half gasped, half moaned. Roan loved that sound. He loved the way her body was answering to him. His other hand found her breast and cupping it none too gently he pulled her so her back was entirely plastered on his chest. His dick found the perfect spot between her curvy of them training, his chest only inches apart for her flashed momentarily in his mind, so many moments when he could have grabbed her just like that.

How had he resisted her for so long ? Or better said, why hadn't he given into the temptation?

Her head fell backwards and he took advantage of it, releasing her breast to cup her chin. He captured her mouth and started pushing her towards her cot. She sighed when he broke the kiss, but lowered herself on the sheets. He followed right after her, like a predator, his eyes dark with lust. Vivian shuddered again in anticipation and she thought the stupid smirk on his face grew. Their lips crashed again, his hand cupping her face. The other gripped one of her thighs and pulled her legs apart. He entered her with no other warning than the tightening of that grip. His hard member slid between her wet folds, filling her entirely. She moaned in his mouth, her back arching into him. It might have been the months of silently craving him, or the long time since she had a partner, but Vivian was sure she never felt so good, so complete. Fuck soulmates, if there were ever two pieces of a whole, it was his dick and her vagina, perfect match made in heaven.

He rolled his hips, slamming into her, driving her closer to her climax with every pump. Her arms wrapped around his neck to keep him close and buried one hand in his hair. He touched his forehead to hers again, his breath caressing her heated skin. In the dim light of the cave his eyes, still clouded with desire, looked almost black. She bit her lip and saw his eyes dart towards her lips like a magnet. His fingers traced her neck to her shoulder and gripped it tight, the rhythm of his thrusts picking up.

She pulled his head closer, kissing him one last time before the sweet wave of release hit her. He might have moaned into the kiss, but all sounds dimmed as the current passed through every nerve in her body, tingling from her core to the tips of her limbs. He bit her lower lip, gentler than she thought him capable of in that moment, as his manhood pulsed between her walls. As his hips slowed down and he pulled out, Vivian's arms tightened reflexively around his neck, an irrational fear or him just leaving coming down hard on her. He released her lips and lifted himself better on his elbows. She couldn't read the expression on his face, his breathing still strained, his eyes half closed, but on watching her closely. She thought he might be considering what to do with her now. Dark thought started to fill her mind as her body was still tingling with pleasure.

He rolled over on his side and pulled Vivian with him. She was giving him a funny stare and he didn't like it much. Was she regretting it? Was he not good enough? It had been some time since he'd been with a woman, but he was confident in his love making skills. Still, she looked at him with those big round eyes as if she was about to burst in tears ar the drop of a needle and his confidence shattered. Was she fearing she could get pregnant? It hit him a little too late that he should have been more careful. But in the heath of the moment - and damn, it had been hot, her wet walls closing in around his staff - he didn't think too straight. Or at all for that matter. He pushed a wet strand of hair from her face and cupped her cheeks. He gathered his words carefully.

"What... I... I did something wrong?" Her eyes widened a little and she touched her hands to his.

"Huh? Wha- No. It was perfect. More than, actually." His spirits lifted at her words, and he relaxed the muscles he didn't realize he was clenching.

"Then what's wrong?" He pulled a cover from behind him and draped it over them, settling closer to her so their noses almost touched. All he wished for was to fall asleep with her in his arms, but he also didn't like her to be uncomfortable there. He wanted Vivian to want to share his bed, both in that particular moment as well as every other night for as ling as they drew breath. His eyes were heavy though, sleep claiming him fast and his sky girl didn't answer anytime soon. "If you don't tell me I can't make it right." Still, she said nothing. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her against his chest. He absently kissed the top of her head and he felt her relax in his embrace. One of her own slender arms went to rest on his chest, the other felt around his waist and stopped on his back. That had been it? Was that what she had been waiting for, for him to pull her close? Women... he'll never fully understand them.

Vivian fell asleep faster than she thought she her eyes slowly, she took in the sleeping man besides her and warmth filled her heart. She was pretty sure Roan had no idea of the inner turmoil she felt last night, not that he calmed her with the simple kiss on top of her head. It was silly, how all her worries were subdued with such a simple gesture. And perhaps it had been more than that - the pulling of the sheets over them, his embrace and how he didn't seem to question her place there in his arms. All reassured her that it had not been just an impulse on his behalf to bed her and then leave.

She wondered where the fear was coming from? It was not like it had happened before and now she thought the same would happen. She knee very little about him, but in the time they spent together, Vivian saw the man that he was: cold and calculated, a born killer, but also caring and loyal. He spoke little of his people but it was clear he missed them. She guessed he thought of them when he spaced out some times and stare into nothing. And if he were a jerk that only wanted women for fun, he could have done so long ago. Besides the fact that he could overpower her with no trouble, she was sure he could have sweet talked his way into her pants within the first month since they met, if that had been his intention. But he didn't. He hadn't seem interested in anything much until they started training... Actually, what had he been doing before she came along?

She looked at his face closely in the morning light that flooded the cave. His face was even more handsome from a few inches away. Taking note of the scars that ran along his brows she moved her hand to touch them. Her fingers brushed the marks gingerly, tracing each line. They were kind of nice, mirroring each other almost perfectly, but she did wonder how much they had hurt. She felt his chest rise and with a sigh his eyes fluttered open. He smiled and wrapped his hand over hers, bringing it to his lips. She melted in his arms as his lips touched her fingers. Why had she ever doubted his intentions?

"Good morning." He grunted in response and pulled her closer, burring his face at the base of her neck and planting another kiss there. Vivian liked where things were going. "No more training today, I gather?" A smirk grew on his lips and she hoped the same dirty thoughts that swam in her mind entered his.

"I can think of some activities for us." She let out a giggle, both in anticipation and from the ticklish area Roan was sucking on. Vivian very much liked the way her grounder was thinking.

She was still a bit unsure of what exactly their relationship had turned into, but she was content with 'the start of something good',

* * *

 **Ok** , I'm ending this one here. I was so excited for the beginning of the season that I wrote this chapter at work, on my phone [ that being said... sorry for the typos...]

Expect the next chapter soon. I'm in exams session and there's nothing I'd rather do mote than write fanfics instead of studying...

Anyway, let me know what you think. Your reviews always make me swoon *kisses*

Also... have you guys seen the first episode? Idk if I like where things are going :((( I think my version of the story is gonna make him a little OOC...especially with the lovey dovey chapters ahead :))) [ i kinda wanna give you spoilers for the story...and at the same time...i don't ]

and ... did they chance the actress for Echo? She looks waaaay prettier than I remember O.O


	14. Pink Bliss

_Hope you enjoy!_

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~ You were a risk, a mystery, and the most certain thing I'd ever known. ~

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He woke up to the warmth of her naked body pressed to his. Her pristine face was mere inches away from him, her hair a dark halo all around. He pushed a few strands away and took in her relaxed features, the slight fluttering of her eyes behind her lids. She was still deep in sleep. Roan traced her cheek, the arch of her neck, the curve of her breast. Her soft skin called to him, as if wanting to be caressed. He pulled away just a little to take her all in, in all her naked glory. She was beautiful. And she was his. He was basked in a strange sense of accomplishment and it baffled him to no end; he didn't set out to get her, hadn't planned on it. If anything, he had barely tolerated her, wished her gone more often than not. And perhaps he had been wise to push her away back then, for Vivian complicated things. What was he supposed to do now? Abandon his path? Take her with?

She stirred in his embrace and big brown eyes fluttered open, still hazed by sleep. It took her a little to register her surroundings. Her eyes went wide a second later making Roan feared for a moment that she would run away, a faint blush already creeping up her cheeks to her ears. But Vivian did the opposite; she inched closer until her forehead hit his chest and clumsily wrapped one arm around his middle. His own arms went tighter around her and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. He was happy and he was in love.

He had been for quite a while now.

Laying there in the cot, limbs entangled, Roan wondered if he could find the exact moment when the little sky girl caught his frozen heart. A shiver ran through him as we recalled some of their few encounters; how he almost let her die in that lake, how he thought of slitting her throat and how he hadn't given her much chance of survival. And there she was, cuddled to his chest. How strange life can turn out to be some times... But when did he stop pushing her away? It hadn't happened instantly, not after she helped him cure the poison, nor after she she lost her friend. It had been slow, but steady and because of little things she did, her contagious positivity, the way she pursed her lips when she didn't quite agree with him and her relentless stubbornness. She was kind and pure and untouched by the harshness of life on the ground. With a sigh, Roan wished despite all odds that she would never have to change.

"Good morning." Her voice came out weaker than she expected, but lifted her head so she could see Roan's face. He met her eyes and his lips turned into a smug smile that made her melt a little more into his arms. She was so love struck she could barely think straight, thoughts just swirling in her head.

"Good morning." God, she loved his gruff voice. Just the sound of it made her hot and bothered. Roan stroked her hair with a gentleness that felt just a bit foreign on him. Not that she didn't like it, or it didn't suit him, but in the sense that he seemed to be rediscovering it, like putting on an old pair or favorite shoes. Closing her eyes again, she relished the warm feeling of being there with him. Had she wanted this from the start? There was no denying she had been attracted to the charming grounder that saved her life time and time again, but had this been her end game all along, to get in his pants? To make him hers? Was he even hers?

His hand was suddenly under her chin, lifting her face towards his. She looked at his lips first, then his eyes, his steel orbs softer than she had ever seen them. Did it even matter if she was his as long as he looked at her like that? Vivian inched closer and kissed him, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck. It started as an innocent little kiss, but with each bite of the lip and grind of their tongues against one another, it heated up fast. Her breasts were pushed against his hard chest, her fingers tangled in his messy hair. Roan's rough hands traced her skin until finally reaching her ass and squeezing playfully.

She pulled closer, wrapping one leg around his waist. His morning wood brushed against her inner thigh and she shuddered with anticipation. His lips broadened in a smile while still against her own. He pushed her on her back and with a swift move he was deep inside her. Vivian gasped at the sudden feeling of being filled up, of the perfect sensation of wholeness. His lips were back on hers as he moved his hips in a maddening rhythm. She broke the kiss for air, craning her head back. Roan's mouth was on her exposed neck in seconds, kissing and sucking lightly at the skin. A wave, like static, surged through her entire body and she felt her walls clench around his member. His thrusts became quicker, prolonging the sensation. She felt his teeth dig in a little too far as he came, but it only made her more giddy on the inside. He collapsed on top her of her, resting his head on her chest and supporting some of his weight on his elbows. He was still heavy, but she wanted him right there, his weight like an anchor she needed to cling to. They stood like that for a while and Vivian hoped he was feeling as blissful as she was. When he lifted his head and looked at her, she resisted the urge to just push his head back down. She wasn't quite ready to leave the warmth of his arms.

"We should wake up like this every day." She smiled at that, his words music to her ears. Had she always been so dumbstruck by him?

"Hmm, I have nothing against it." As she finished the sentence her stomach rumbled. Vivian couldn't remember a moment she felt more embarrassed, despite the fact that she did realize it was something completely normal. She was having a small fit in her mind, trying to come up with something funny to say when Roan planted another kiss on her head and rolled off the cot. She was about to complain, the absence of his skin on hers making the cave seem suddenly unrealistically cold. Her words died in her throat when she realized Roan was moving around the cave stark naked. It was silly of her to blush at the sight of him after they slept together, but seeing him so exposed, with no care that she cold see all of him, no inhibition, made her want to stare even more. And those scars, so beautiful and terrible at the same time. How come she hadn't traced them with her fingers yet? Learned their every pattern?

"If you like watching me so much, you should have said something sooner. I would've stopped wearing clothes all to see you make that face."

"Ah, stop teasing me." She flipped the covers over her face, but not before she saw him pulling a pair of pants on. She heard him chuckle and felt silly for acting like such a child.

"It's not entirely my fault. You're asking for it." With that, the sheet was gone, one second it was covering her, the next it was in a pile on the ground. She was naked on the cot, Roan smiling mischievously. "Come on, we have things to do." He offered her a hand and she couldn't refuse it. She was pulled into his chest and he captured her lips once more.

"We could make this a morning routine."

"Got nothing against that." He planted one more kiss on her lips, bus as he went to grab the rest of his clothes his eyes never quite left Vivian. Her face was still hot and she didn't even know why anymore. Her clothes were scrambled all over the cave, so she grabbed the closest items and flung her over her skin, so utterly aware of Roan' gaze on her. Why did he have to be such a tease? She couldn't really concentrate with him watching her. She also really, really needed a bath. The grounder's voice sounded through the small cave as she was lacing her boots.

"I'll go see if we caught anything in any of the traps."

"I'm coming with." He didn't argue and it surprised Vivian a bit. But she was hungry and couldn't wait to see what breakfast, or lunch in their case, entitled. They gathered their weapons and headed out, falling in step besides one another. She kept stealing glances his way, not entirely paying attention to where they were headed. She wondered silently of how much their new _development_ would change the flow of their daily activities? Until then, it felt to her as if they had an unspoken pact, an agreement that help them both move on and face each day. She about to voice her thought when she noticed they were not on the usual path.

They had been only walking for a short while, only reaching the first of the traps. As she looked back, she found it strange that Roan didn't set the trap back after he collected the animals caught within. She thought for a second that she might have been wrong, after all he was the expert there, but she just couldn't find any of the landmarks she set to orient herself in the forest.

"Where are we headed." She was curious, yes, but more than anything she wanted to show him that she did notice he changed the rout.

"Oh, so you were actually paying attention? "

"Eeeh, from time to time." She admitted, thought it was a bit of a stretch. "I get a bit sloppy when I know you are doing it anyway... So, where to?"

"You'll see, we're close."

"Ok. But hey, I have to ask, there was an explosion last night and you came back smelling of smoke... What do you know about that? Did they blow up Mount Weather or something? " He didn't answer right away, the small pause only making Vivian more nervous. Was it related to where they were headed? Did anyone die? But who was there really left that she knew and cared for? No one.

"Or something... "

"Roan." She caught his sleeve and made him turn towards her. A half smile crossed her lips when their eyes met and she could see the worry behind his. "I'm really curious and you know that not telling me is only going to make it worse."

"The mountain men blew up Tondc." The information struck her hard. She didn't know what to expect, but that wasn't it. She had assumed, for whatever reason, that the skypeople and the grounders would win, their forces banned together enough to subdue the silly men under the mountain.

"Oh." It was the only thing that managed to escape her lips. Roan's brow lifted as if not buying her act of indifference, but was it really an act? She was saddened by the loss of lives, sure. But none of them were closely tied to her own, she probably didn't know their faces not their names. The Blake girl flashed in her mind, but was gone quickly. Vivian had only met her once, and while she had not wished the girl to die, she would not mourn her if it did happen. Who else was there? No name came to mind. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, questions forming and dissolving in her mind before she finally stopped to one. "Were they all killed?" She wasn't sure who 'all' was supposed to encompass. Some skypeople were still in Arkadia, so they were not 'all'. She was pretty damn sure that not all Trikru were in Tondc when it was blown up. Perhaps she just mean the people there in the village. She should have asked if there were any survivors.

"No. I saw a few when I passed by there." He turned from her, grabbing her had and pulling her with. She was again love struck for a moment before another question formed in her head.

"Why were you there anyway?"

"What?"It sounded a lot like he didn't want to answer and it only made her want to know even more. She could have dropped the subject, but Roan's steps quickened as if he could outrun the questions. She smiled mischievously at the prospect of making him uncomfortable. Payback was so sweet.

"You said you passed by. What were you doing there? It's pretty far away." He didn't stop walking thought. The grip on her hand tightened and it hurt just a little. "Hey, look, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but slow down a little." In truth, she was dying to know what business he had there, thought now that she thought about it, it might have had something to do with his people and that banishment of his. It seemed to be one of the few things that made Roan close up to her. His pace didn't slow and his grip didn't loosen, but the answer made her dizzy.

"I thought you might me there." His words came out in guttural notes, as if he had barked them through gritted teeth. Not far from the usual way Roan's voice resonated, but distinct in a different way. The words and the meaning underneath made her mind blank for a moment and if he wasn't pulling on her she was sure she would have forgotten to walk. She swallowed hard as warmth filled her entire body and she might have skipped a few steps without realizing. She wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms and forget herself in the safety of his embrace. She craved to kiss him and somehow show him he also meant a lot to her. She did none, instead curling her fingers stronger around his.

There were a million things running through Roan's head, but all his thoughts would turn to the steady grip of her slim hand on his. It was such a small gesture and yet it spoke the world to him. He was grateful that she spoke no more of the whole thin, didn't make a big deal of his little confession. In an fairness, going to check if she had been in Tondc was nothing compared with the dozed times he actually saved her life. It was meaningless compared to those times. And yet...

The building came int view. Finally. He was filled with a different breed of worry and questions, but he shut all of them down. He was tired of second guessing and planning everything to serve a bigger purpose. He deserved a break from all. He was the closest to happiness he'd been in... how long was it? Something short of three years? He'd be damned if he was going to make a balk of good ground. He saw the uncertainty on Vivian's face from the corner of his eye, but also the glint of curiosity. The broad smile her lips were turned into made his own curve into a smirk.

They entered the structure, the ground floor completely empty. He felt her eyes on him ans he made way to the far corner and pulled a rope leader down from an unseen thread. He motioned for her to go first and she obliged. The perfect view of her behind as she climbed the damn thing made him curse under his breath. He was pretty sure he'd scare the little sky girl if he groped her with every chance he got. Or perhaps she'd like that? She had proved to be not quite what she seemed. He followed up the ladder once she was on the second floor and got up besides her. She took a look around before turning to him, amused smile playing on her lips. He didn't wait for her to ask.

"I thought it would be a good place to move." She seemed to consider for a moment, taking another look in the room and at the ladder at their feet.

"Safer too. Not as exposed at the cave." She took a step forward and planted her hands on his chest. "But a lot more space. What will we do with all of it?"

"Don't worry, it will have just one bed."

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 **Ok** :)) this is all over the place, sort f a small filler-ish chapter I guess... I swear I'll make it up to you guys.

Or, at least i'll try :)) pretty sure you'll hate on me a little for the next few chapters :))

Also... she ain't pregnant... at least not yet, cause I have some... ugly plans for her... let's just say the Ice Nation will not like her much... he he

But I was thinking of it... like another reason for Roan to want to make allies with Clarke and the sky people against the radiations... but i don't know, I'll see when I cross that bridge and depending where this season id going...

Anyways, Thank you for the wonderful reviews and Follows/Favorites 3 They mean the world to me *kisses*


	15. Lilac Skies

I got a little over excited for the next chapter and I wrote this fast O_O

It appears... that I am unable to write anything serious anymore :)) this chapter turned into something fluffy fast...

 _Hope you still enjoy!_

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~ There I was, way off my ambitions, getting deeper in love every minute. ~

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" _Ai laik Vivien kom Skaikru en ai gaf gouthru_ kill." A sharp blade passed right above her head as she managed to duck in time. Her own swords reached up to block another strike, a heavy clang ringing in her ears as metal hit metal. The impact vibrated all the way up her wiry hands and for a moment she thought she might drop the weapons, but her fingers tighten around the hilts.

"It's ' _klir_ ', not kill. You're seeking safe passage, not killing anyone." Roan took a few step back, allowing her to get to her feet. He looked impatient, with a need to move, to flex his muscles written all over his body, taunt like a bow string. He circled her like a predator would, as if he wanted to jump back into the fray, but knew she needed a few more seconds to get her bearings straight.

"This would go way faster if I had something to write the words on." They moved towards one another with well rehearsed steps, the motions fluid for the grounder, yet still clumsy on her behalf. Blade clashed against blade again and again, each strike making her arms feel more like rubber. Her bangs were sticking with swear to her forehead, the tips curling in random directions. She had to shorten them soon or they'll block her vision entirely. She swept them to the side, not caring she probably looked like something made a nest on her head. "And you know, if we weren't sparing at the same time. Quite hard to concentrate on linguistics when you're swinging sharp things my way." A smirk crossed his lips, playful and dangerous, just like she liked it.

"I'm taking it easy on you." But just as he said that, two or three sept later, he was behind her, both blades gently pressed at her throat. "Can't say others will. So, stay sharp. _Ste yuj_." His words vibrated in her ear sending shivers down her spine. She knew that rough voice of his was going to be her undoing, but she never expected him to get so much more alluring when speaking that foreign tongue of his. The blades came down and he took a stance again, pushing her ahead in the process. She shuck her arms, trying to get some feeling into them, despite knowing it was futile. She won't be lifting much after this fun exercise of his.

"Stay strong? I'm trying to stay in one piece." He got a serious expression in a matter of seconds. His face seemed to slip in that perfect stone cold mask, the one he wore when guarding his thoughts, his feelings. The one he so seldom took off, but never got rid of. She wanted to tear it off and plaster a permanent smirk on his handsome face. It suited him better.

"You _do_ know I wouldn't hurt you?" Vivian was never sure if he was genuinely concerned that she feared him, or if he just enjoyed hearing her deny. It amused her a little, that he could still believe he might somehow scare her away. After all they'd been through, Vivian couldn't think of anything that would make her turn her back on this particular grounder. She let the her arms fall to her sides, the gesture bringing little relief to her strained muscles and stepped right in front of him.

"Yes, of corse, Roan. We both know there's something else you like impaling me with." And with that, the smile was back on the grounders lips and Vivian's pride expanded in her chest. She was the one making him smile like that.

Had she always been so frisky? So bold and stubborn and utterly irresistible? He threw the swords aside and lifted her in his arms. A small yelp escaped her lips, but she let go of her own blades and her legs wrapped around his waist. His mouth found hers, drawn together like magnets. Her body so close and entangled with his it made him lose focus. When they broke the kiss and he looked int those eyes of hers he would have given anything to know her thoughts. But he had only his own, and Vivian was in every one of them. She was still beautiful in his eyes, dirty and sweaty, her hair curled and tangled. She looked less sky girl and more grounder by the day, but he could spot the differences, the softness still in her eyes, the innocence in her intentions. When her blade came forward it didn't strike to kill, only to unarm or to block. Such silly things to do, things that would cost her life in a real fight. A part of him wanted to beat that out of her, to make her strong. He knew he could; he trained countless soldiers, turned weeping children into fearless men. But the other part of him wished to place her on a cage, not she could not get away, but so nothing could get to her. Nothing but him. In the end, he knew he would do neither, for each of those paths would push her away from him.

He saw the questions playing on her lips as she pursed them, then opened them to speak, but never voicing her concerns. So he silenced her with another kiss as he drew closer to the building they took as their own. He pressed her back to the outside wall, trapping her there for a few more kisses.

"What else do you remember?" He trailed her jawline with his lips, whispering the question into her ear. Her nails dug into his shoulders with the little fore she had left in them.

"Hmm, in your grounder language? You choose the most difficult moments for this kind of lessons. Is it on purpose?" She said it all in a breath, as if her focus might have swayed any second. He smiled and nipped at the base of her neck earning a soft moan from the woman in his arms.

"Are you stalling because you remember none?"

 _"Jus drein jus daun_. Blood must have blood, right?" He laughed, a bit too long and heavy and stared her in her beautiful eyes.

"You seem to be liking that one. Should I be worried?"

"Nah, it just has a nice ring to it. Despite the somewhat awful meaning."

"Awful or not, it's how things have always worked here. You'll be hearing it a lot."

"Doubt it." He lifted an eyebrow. "What? You're the only grounder I know. Actually, you're kinda the only person I know." She was right. Why was he teaching her his language anyway? Sure, she had asked what some words meant when he spoke them instinctively. And he liked to hear her struggle with some words and link them together to form phrases in his native tongue. But for what purpose? Just to amuse himself? In case she ever crossed another grounder? In case he ever got to go home and took her with him? In case he ever left and she didn't...

"That'll change." The words came out as a whisper, filled with a sorrow he hadn't meant, didn't know where it came from. He had no intentions of leaving anywhere without her. She must have sensed his distress, for her hands cupped his face and her expression softened, brown eyes shining with worry.

"Roan? I didn't mean it like a complain. I quite like this savehaven of ours."

"I know. But wouldn't you like to came to a trading post with me?"

"What? Really?"

"Really." In truth, he regretted the words as soon as he spoke them, but Vivian's face lit so suddenly, so bright, that he couldn't bring himself to take them back. Instead, he took the conversation in a different direction. "We should change clothes first, though."

"Lead the way." But, her lips caught his again and none of them made any move to leave. Her hands, now shacking slightly, made way to pull his shirt from his pants and before he knew it, delicate fingers were roaming on his chest. He took a better hold of her behind, her legs still wrapped around his waist and started walking. But he didn't go inside the building.

Vivian was so caught in kissing him, in slowly untangling the clothes from his body, all without having to part too far from the warmth of his skin, that she didn't notice Roan was moving away from their new home. She was clueless up until his lips turned into a small smile and then into a full blown smirk, mischief written all over his face. She stopped what she was doing, but as her hands came free from his hair, his own arms let go of her. And she fell, her legs swore, her muscles tired.

The first thing she noticed was that she was wet; he had brought them to the small river that coursed behind the building. t was a small thing, the water barely reaching her knees.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for this." She splashed water his way, but he was already besides her, catching her hands and bringing their bodies close again.

"I thought you needed to cool off a bit." He pushed her hair, now dripping wet, out of her face. "After all that training."

"So considerate of you." She wasn't mad, she quite enjoyed this playful side of his. But her arms were heavy and the water was only making things harder.

Without another word, he pulled her top off, then her boots and pants and all that covered her skin, throwing everything up on the shore. He planted a kiss here and there, his hands lingering and caressing her thighs, her arms, her stomach. She managed to pull his shirt off, but he took care of the rest of his clothes himself. He poured water over her heated skin, cupping it in his palms, and Vivian didn't think she would see him doing anything sweeter than that. He rubbed the dirt off of her, with slow, maddening motions. She tried to do the same, but kept forgetting about the dirt, her fingers tracing the small likes of scars instead. She caught his face between her hands and wiped the grime from his brows, from the half moons etched around his eyes. Such curious things. It reminded her of tattoos; grounders seemed to fancy those, but she couldn't recall any other grounder with such intricate scars.

His hands landed between her legs, at long last, and she gasped, moving a little closer to him, arms circling his neck. His fingers rubbed as his mouth fell on the nape of neck, on the spot that always drove sparks along her skin. She lifted one leg to give him better access, hooking it to his side for support. She wanted to make him feel as good as he was making her feel, wanted to reach and grab hold of his manhood that was brushing her thigh from time to time, wanted to make him loose focus too, but all she had strength to do was hold tight and moan his name as his fingers worked their magic.

When she thought she wouldn't last much longer, his hands retreated, slipping out of her. She lifted her head from she had rested it on his shoulder and found his eyes, so blue they matched the sky behind him. He had that lewd smile he got whenever he was pleased with the way he made her body sing for him. She moved to kiss him and he met her halfway, lowering her on the sands beneath and covering her with his body. She expected the water turned to be deeper, but her head and back were placed on a pile of clothes, half submerged in the water. She smiled and broke the kiss for a moment to look at him.

"Have you been planning this long?"

"So obvious?" He chuckled between kisses and when she thought he wasn't going to say anything more, he continued. "I found this spot and thought you'd look good in it." Another array of kisses, a flutter of lips along her neck, down to her breasts. "Naked, of course."

"Of course." Was the last string of words she said, the last coherent thought she had, as he dove into her, his length filling her to the brink. She was lost in the caresses, the nibbles and the kisses, the hypnotic rhythm of his hips, the sound of water splashing and skin meeting skin. Their limbs were entwined, their bodies in sink and for the longest moment Vivian thought she didn't know where her skin ended and his begun.

Roan inhaled deeply to steady his breath before pulling out of her, his member exhausted but still tingling in the aftermath of his release. He lifted himself on his elbows, eyes darting all over the woman beneath him, her chest lifting and lowering with ragged breaths. He could watch her until the end of time, couldn't get enough of it. Her skin was wet and sparkling in the light of the setting sun, her dark tresses spilling in all directions in the water. He wished they could stay there longer, but the water was getting colder and he didn't even want to know how much noise they'd made. They were still pretty close to his home's border.

"It's getting late, we should go."

"Yeah." Her hands were in his hair again and he leaned in, her caresses always luring him, always getting him to want more. More of her skin on his, more of her smiles, more of her voice, more of Vivian. He got up reluctantly and pulled her up with him. "Our clothes are wet, though." He smiled and motioned for her to go ahead.

"I don't mind the view." She faked being aghast, bringing one hand to her mouth, but he saw the blush creeping on her ears, the uncertainty in her eyes as she scanned the clothes for something to cover herself with. He sighed. Would she ever stop being so worried and prude around him? His smile widened as he wondered what would she do if her clothes simply vanished one day. Before she got the chance to clung any of the wet clothes to her body, he grabbed the ones still on the ground, boots and all, and dumped them in her hands. She struggled to keep all of them and shot him a confused stare. One hand behind her knees, the other on her back, and he scooped her in his arms. She scoffed, but laughter filled her lungs shortly after. How he loved that sound.

"You're going to hurt your feet." She struggled in his arms for a moment, wanting to hand him his boots, but he didn't care much for them; he was used to going barefoot and the ground wasn't harsh. He strode fast, circling the building and going inside in a few long steps. He finally her her down and she dumped the wet clothes in a basket in the corner, then pulled down the ladder. She stood by it a moment, looking at him, at the ladder, then back at him again. He sighed, amused, but just a little disappointed he wouldn't see her glorious ass dangling from the ropes, and went first. She followed suit, but didn't stop, leaving him to bring the ladder back up. He watched her gather some blankets and the remains of their morning hunt and make her way up the stone steps that lead to the roof.

"Are you coming?" He was already halfway there, eyes drawn to the exposed skin, stomach calling to the food in her hands. The 'roof' had once been another flood, the only indication to it being half a wall that refused to give in to the weather and time. A small gathering of sheets and blankets were already there, since it was her favorite place in the building. He watched her wrap her body in one of the soft fabrics she collected from downstairs. He inched closer and she swung another over his shoulders, tugging it close to his body so he'd be warm, but he only needed her against his skin. He pulled her down with him, shifting the blankets so they were covering both, but didn't get between them. They are in together, cuddled, warm, stealing kisses and small laughs, watching the clouds pass above them as the sun set, the sky exploding in colors he'd never noticed or never cared for.

And in that moment he thought he could do it, forget about the home that forgot him, about the friends that didn't come looking, about the mother that banished him. He was finally happy and nothing was going to take that away from him. Never again.

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 **Just a funny typo I corrected** :))) instead of "his home's border" I typed "hoe's" :)) yeah sorry, I was tempted to leave it like that

So, in case this chapter wasn't proof enough, I like fluffy romances and this story will be one of them "And they lived happily ever after' types :)) so no worries, no one's dying in this fanfic [well, except you know, the Ice Queen, tho I'm still debating :)) ]

I'm sure I wanted to say more to you guys, but yeah... hope you keep reading my attempt at writing :P

And thanks a lot for al the love and reviews *hugs*

Next chapter finally catches up to the start of the third season. Yay.

Can you guess what's gonna happen? he he *don't hate on me much*


	16. Yellow Streaks

You know I'm writing this for fun, but god it's nice to read positive reviews! *hugs you all*

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~ I exist in two places, here and where you are. ~

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Three months.

That was roughly the time Roan's little fantasy had lasted. That was the full extent of the lifespan of his newfound happiness. Somewhere in the darkest corner of his mind he had always known it had an expiration date, but he never thought it would come so soon and swift, or that it would be of his own doing. Yet there he was again, alone in the woods, chasing a way back to his people, to his real home. The second he caught word at a trading post of the Commander and the rewards she was offering for someone the people were calling Wanheda, his blood started boiling in his veins. He couldn't - wouldn't - get it out of his mind that he had a real chance this time around; catch the damn killer of thousands and deliver her at the Commander's feet in exchange for lifting his banishment. He didn't stop to think too long about what exactly he was doing, what he was setting in motion with his actions. He knew, that if he went back to the ruin of a building he had called 'home' for the past months, he would not head back out to hunt for Wanheda, for his momentarily forgotten dream. He strayed his mind as far away as possible from the person still waiting for him to go back there.

So he did fast work of picking up the trail, whispers the Commander of Death already awaiting him at every corner. Once he started looking, it seemed that 'Wanheda' was on everyone's lips. A word here, a supposition there, the information trade was at it's peek, all the scum and nobodies wanting to get something out of the deal. But Roan had his mind set - Wanheda was his prize. So the competition had to go down, one by bloody one. That included the people chasing after the eluding mystery person and the ones that seem to know too much. He couldn't have other people hearing the same piece of information and following his own trail. Every time the word 'wanheda' was uttered, deep red splashes of color would follow.

On the first night spent alone in the longest time, he was reminded of the days immediately after he was banished, of the loneliness that had grown slowly but steadily until Vivian came along. The reality of it all hit him hard. He became aware of the full extent of his shallowness and forever changing plans and ambitions. Had he always been so indecisive? Was that what had gotten him banished in the first place? Perhaps if he had made a stable decision between his Queen and the Commander, if he hadn't wanted to play both sides back when he was still a prince, still a respected warrior of the Ice Nation, he wouldn't have ever gotten in such a predicament.

And most likely he would have never met Vivian.

He sighed long and hard and put out the fire before him. He rolled on his his side, closed his eyes, but he did not find sleep. In its place came a wave of questions he didn't want neither to ask nor answer and with each one the shame grew, like a shadow that loomed over over his head, threatening to swallow him whole. He was ashamed of his banishment. It was something he knew would forever stick with him; even if he managed to get back home he'd still be remembered as 'Roan - the banished prince'. He was ashamed he had thought he could forsake his throne, his people, his home, all for a woman he barely knew; Roan - he fool.

But most of all, he was ashamed he left her. Without a word, a notice, a sign. Nothing. Like a thief, one moment he had been there, the next - gone. The trust she had given him so willingly was undeserved; it was tarnished by his greedy need to go home. Roan - the betrayer. The guilt was easier to subdue during the day, when his mind was busy with hunting. But at night, when the sky turned too dark and he had to lay down and rest, all the emotions he had pushed back while the sun was up crashed into him. A storm raged inside his mind and heart, tearing through him mercilessly. And he deserved it all and so much more.

What was Vivian thinking in that moment? Was she scared, alone at night in the building for the first time? Was she still awake, waiting for him to return from the trading post? He told her he'd bring food, he _lied_ he'd be back in no time. Was it a lie if he had had the intention to do so when he said it? He reasoned with himself that he did nothing wrong, he was just following his path. Surely she would understand. Would she? With each passing day, he believed more and more that she would not.

When the forth day came and Roan was nowhere near rested, he was questioning the soundness of his plan, the possibility of success. He had tossed and turned most of the nights, the cold ground providing little comfort. He could have spent them in Vivian's warm embrace, their limbs entangled, their bodies as one. But he was an idiot, off chasing ghosts in the woods. He had half a mind to turn back and forget everything about Wanheda and his banishment. He could tell Vivian he got stuck somewhere, make up some story that would bury his betrayal. After all, what she didn't know couldn't hurt her and the last thing he wanted to do was cause her any kind of pain. Where had that thought been when he left the trading post days before, when he took the first steps towards breaking the heart he swore he would protect?

Fate seemed to have other plans for him. As he gathered the few things he had with him, his mind already working on what to say to the sky girl when her doe-like eyes would search his, a bush behind him rustled. With his hand on the hilt of the knife on his belt, he slowly turned. The noise he heard had been deliberate; if the one behind him wanted him dead, he'd be in a lot of trouble. As he faced the grounder coming out of the foliage Roan cursed himself for being so sloppy. No matter how tired and clouded his mind was, being taken by surprise like that was a rookie mistake, one a seasoned warrior life himself should have never done.

The first thing he searched for were weapons. The man clearly carried many, his own hand resting on the hilt of a sword. The second thing he noted and was grateful for were the absence of scars running on the man's bearded face. He was not Ice Nation, to Roan's great relief. The grounder took a step forward, palms forward in a sign of peace.

"What brings you to these parts of the woods, stranger?" He had an easy way about him, a joyful high in his voice that unnerved Roan.

"None of your business."

"But it seems to me we're following the same person." Roan calculated his options: either tell the truth and kill him, or lie and kill him. Either way, the result was the same. The man had made a crucial mistake in showing himself to Roan, the reason behind his action a mystery to him.

"Wanheda."

"Indeed." There was a pause, the man's eyes searching for something on Roan's face. "You're Azgheda."

"What of it?"

"Your Queen wants Wanheda, too. Between her and the Commander who do you think will offer the better reward?" It sounded like something his dear mother would plot and it didn't take him long to put two and two together - she wanted to kill this Commander of Death herself and earn great respect from the people, through sheer fear, and continue her plan to take down the Commander and her coalition. He supposed he would be killing two birds with the same stone by taking Wanheda to the Commander instead. Not that any of it mattered much if his banishment would remain, a confirmation of which he didn't exactly have.

"They say the Commander will give you any price your ask for. I think her most capable of doing that, unlike my Queen." Roan hoped the words didn't sound as distasteful out loud as they felt on his lips. If the man picked up anything from his tone, he didn't show.

"Well then, what do you say we catch Wanheda together, she will prove to be hard to bag alive for the Commander." Roan didn't know where this man had the information from. He had killed every person he came across that did as much as mention the name in a joke over a drink. He even placed a few misleading news of her sightings, along with the 'fact' that Wanheda was a man. He has about to deny the man's offer and kill him quickly, when he produced a slip of paper from his pocket. "I have a picture of her. And solid information that she headed this way. There's a trading post just over the hill north of here. Join me. I'm sure there will be enough gain with the Commander for both of us."

It was an invitation, as simple as that. The man was clearly worried Wanheda would slip between his fingers and preferred to join forces with another. But that was the least of Roan's worries. He wanted to move as quickly as possible and seal the deal with the Commander, assuming she would agree. Still, he decided not to kill the man. Yet. Having him around would keep Roan on alert; he wouldn't let his guard down with a stranger in such close proximity.

The grounder handed him the paper and he took a god look at the drawing on it. He had already guessed that the great Wanheda was Skaikru, but the girl depicted on the paper was just that - a girl. He didn't really know what he expected, but it had been something... more. Maybe at lest a fierceness in the eyes, a menacing look. Not a clueless sky girl with no life experience. How did this person manage to kill so many? How did one so young wipe out all the mountain men when entire armies of grounders failed? The only possibility was the odd technology they came with. Vivian would often spin outlandish tales about equipment he didn't fully comprehend. She would stop mid-sentence and start explaining how a certain item looked and what it was used for, usually adding that she had no actual clue on how or why it worked that way. He swallowed and pushed the memory away; he had no time for that.

"Mind if I keep this?" He gestured at the photo and the grounder lifted his shoulders as if not really caring. He was, most likely, planning on killing Roan after the whole affair, just like he was already looking for the perfect moment to strike him down. The man came off as confident, but he was terribly underestimating Roan's skill and motivation. At this point, he _needed_ the damn Wanheda so it wouldn't all have been in vain, so he wouldn't have lost Vivian for naught. He still hoped she would come with him when he'd return for her, but _hope_ had a tendency to disappoint him.

"I don't see why not if we're after the same goal." But they weren't. He was after palpable rewards, whereas Roan longed for something more, his place back among his people. There was no need to tell that to the other man. So he just nodded and their journey began. As they trekked through the forest Roan became more and more uncomfortable with the man; he was way too relaxed. With his eyes glued to the man, they got to their destination late in the day.

Roan went ahead and pushed the door open with a little too much force. The owner of the post, who didn't look all to pleased to be having clients, was spindling some well rehearsed lines about Wanheda having been there two days ago, but Roan's attention was on the other woman, a redhead that was trying a little too hard to look interested in a fur. When she turned and their eyes met she quickly averted her gaze. _Guilty!_ She resembled the picture and at the same time didn't and perhaps, if she hadn't been so squirmish, Roan wouldn't have spared her a second glance. But the girl was trying so hard to make herself small and unnoticeable that she was standing out even more. He was confident he almost had the notorious Mountain Slayer in his grasp. He could have gotten her right then, but he couldn't afford screwing things up; too much was on the line. So first things first, get rid of the grounder. Roan thanked the trading post's owner and led his new _friend_ outside where they planned on how to get the redhead.

They had to wait until late into the night for the girl to get out of the trading post, but it turned out in Roan's advantage, as the perfect opportunity to kill his companion presented itself. He wasn't particularly proud of this kill, a murder by all definitions. There was no acclaim in ending a person's life by literally stabbing him in the back. Songs were written about it, but most did not depict heroes or honorable warriors, but cowards and tiny men. He was no coward, yet he couldn't afford to waste any more time and an opening so tempting couldn't possibly come twice. He closed in on the unsuspecting man and jammed his sword in his back with a precision and dexterity that only came with repetition. The man struggled for a few seconds, blood filling his throat and mouth before falling face-first on the ground, his pants down to his knees. Roan hoped he would be the first and last man he killed while taking a piss.

He then took a place near the door and patiently waited for the girl to come out. It took a lot longer than he expected, but he was prepared to wait the whole damn night if needed. He got that far; he wasn't about to give up so easily. His patience was running thin though and being alone with his thoughts and guilt was making him angry. He needed to be calm and collected. No one knew what this girl was really capable of.

He was a bit disappointed when she did come out and turned to be nothing more than a girl. His knife found her throat in a swift move, the blade pressed none to gently to her skin. She struggled a little, but didn't provide the fight he was preparing for. Still, he was not going to underestimate her. He knew first hand that Skaikru were more resilient and resourceful than they looked at first glance. He couldn't exactly be too worried either, but he kept his guard up. Most of the time. The damn girl still managed to stab him. _Beware the patient woman,_ his mother's words rang in his head as he applied pressure to the wound. She was proving to be the pest the rumors were portraying. He lifted her to her feet, teeth clenched in anger more than pain, and had to resist a primal urge to kill her. He didn't want to be there, tired, dirty and bleeding, running towards a future he didn't know he wanted anymore. With all the fury he put behind that glare, Wanheda still had the guts to speak to him, her voice steady despite her shaking body.

"If you were going to kill me you'd have done it already."

"There's still time."

Tying her hands tighter and glaring daggers, he wondered if some mythical power would surge through him if he smothered the life out the Commander of Death. That was the way this thing worked, right? Both the Ice Queen and the Commander wanted to claim this girl's life and with it her title of Wanheda. But Roan never believed in such things, he was a pragmatic. He understood her power more as a symbol more than anything else. A damn powerful symbol that would make people fear you, and through that fear came a semblance of respect. But he had no need for tokens of power, they did not pave his way home. So he stilled his anger and went on to Polis.

He was dragging Wanheda by the ropes around her hands, when the sound of war drums filled the air. It had been so long since he had last heard them, yet he didn't waste time to relive old memories. It had been, perhaps, a rushed move to come so close to Azgeda, but it was the fastest route to Polis and he didn't want to waste anymore time. It had been five days since he left. He would not spend a second more than needed on this Wanheda.

Still, they had to wait out the marching Ice Nation army. He knew the perfect spot, an underground ruin of the old world. It was close and it would provide cover for the fire he was going to make for his bleeding wound. How funny it would be if he bleed out on his way to the Commander? He pushed the sky girl inside and tied her to a sturdy post. The heavy rhythm of drums was getting further and further, but it still rang loud and clear in Roan's ears.

The Ice Queen was parading her warriors, a threat that needed no words. She was provoking the Commander, showing she was willing to strike at any moment. Roan didn't know what was her play. Azgeda's warriors were the best, but even they could not take all the other eleven clans. It was a bold move from his Queen... unless she had support from the inside. How much had this incident with Wanheda damaged the Commander's image if some of the clans were willing to rebel against her? He eyed the damned girl while lighting the fire. She sure didn't look as much in that moment.

Roan set the knife to the flame. He watched the blade heath up and realized it was the same he used on Vivian's wound, the night she got attacked by the mother boar. He sighed, passing his fingers trough his tangled hair and wishing they were Vivian's fingers instead. It had been five hole days of her being alone. She probably thought him dead. Were her eyes filled with tears because of him? Did she go out looking for him? Was she close on his trail?

"Look, whatever the Ice Queen is giving you my people can give you more."

"Doubt they have anything of worth." He took the knife from the flames and pressed it to the skin. What was it he was really after, his throne or his sky girl? The two still bumped head to head; he couldn't exactly have both. He was charging towards the Commander to attempt to regain his title and place among his people, yet the moment he would be reinstated he'd take the fastest horse back to Vivian. Then what? He shook his head and turned to the tied up girl to take his mind off the mess he was making of his own life. How did such a puny girl make the Commander look weak? "The Great Wanheda, Mountain Slayer."

"I'm no one."

"Lot of people out there right now looking for no one."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know you took the coward's way out."

"Like you're so different? You're in disguise, same as me. You're on the run, same as me, in the wilderness, same as me."

"I was banished, nothing like you. You had a choice, and, no, I can't take you home to your people because you're the way back home to mine."

He had hoped to get something out of her, but only got himself angry instead. The truth was, he had had a choice a few days back. He could have gone back to Vivian. He could have ignored all the agitation and rumors about this Wanheda. He could have forgotten altogether that he had been a prince, that he had been thrown away from a home he no longer needed. He could have lived his life with Vivian and been happy, he knew he would have been.

Could have, but didn't.

It had been of his own choice to hunt down one of Vivian's own kin. Did she know this girl? Would she mind if he was delivering her to an imminent death at the Commander's hands? Looking at her tied up, she seemed even younger than he thought when he caught her. Vivian was perhaps just a few years older, so she might have met Wanheda on that Ark of theirs. But Vivian didn't seem that attached to her people. How did she do that? Did she not have that calling in her chest? She might not have been a ruler among her people, but the need of belonging was something everyone had, from king to peasant, to warrior, to thief. It came naturally, did it not?

Footsteps could be heard outside and Roan's body sprung to action before his mind fully caught up. He blended with the shadows behind Wanheda's post, out of sight for whoever was descending those steps. Only one set of feet were trying and failing to be silent. Skaikru! Apparently they did want their killer back. A young man came into view soon enough. He sighed in relief when he saw the girl and knelt before her to check her bounds. His joy was short-lived as Roan was pinning him to the ground in seconds, like the insignificant insect that he was. The tip of the blade touched his chest and Roan saw the intruder for what he really was, a boy playing soldier. His would have been the first skaikru life he would have taken, if Wanheda hadn't made such an appealing offer of behaving the rest of the way. And she kept true to her word.

They entered Polis later that day, a hood covering the girl's face. The last part of their trek had been so uneventful that Roan half expected the guards to arrest him on sight when they crossed into the border of the city. He was grateful when said guards escorted them to the Commander instead, as if they were expected. He didn't question it much, he just wanted the whole thing to be over. Once his stupid banishment was lifted, he'd hop on the first horse and go get his sky girl.

"Commander." He bowed his head and pushed Wanheda to her knees, taking the hood of in the process.

"She was supposed to be brought to me unharmed."

"She didn't come easy."

"I suppose she didn't"

"I did my part, now do yours. You know what I want."

"The banishment." It was the moment of truth. His heart beat a little faster in his chest. He could almost hear the damn order being lifted and he could be on his merry way. He'd deal with his mother and the Ice Nation after he got Vivian back. "I have news that your Queen's army is marching on Polis." His heart had risen to his throat only to drop so suddenly it hurt. He suddenly felt to very tired, arms heavy at his sides.

"I have nothing to do with that. Honor your deal!"

"When your Queen will honor ours. Until then, you are my _guest_. Take the prince."

A sad smile spread on his lips as he watched the Commander helplessly. She was forsaking him again. He was a prisoner, noting more than a pawn in a game of two warring rulers. There was no use to reason with the woman; one does not negotiate with the bargaining chip. Somehow he ended up worse than banished - trapped with no way of getting back to Vivian. Was she still waiting for him or had she gone back to her people ? Sweet, innocent Vivian, was she wondering where he was or if he was still even alive? As the doors to his new room -a cell befitting a prince- were shut behind him, he cursed loudly. He went to the balcony and stared into the distance, around the place _their home_ should be, as if he could transport himself there with his thought alone.

Would she ever forgive him, take him back?

Unbeknownst to Roan, some 300 feet below him, Vivian was setting foot in Polis for the first time.

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 **Ok, fuuuuck!**

I wanted to post this yesterday, but I manage to delete the whole damned thing! *cry* *pulls hair out*

I HATE this chapter so much, for the sheer reason I had to retype it and some things turned out a whole lot different cause I was bored and lazy... and annoyed beyond reason...

Best grounder pick up line : _"What brings you to these parts of the woods, stranger?"_ :))) Yeah, I'm not even sorry about that... had some fun with that character :)))

Other than that... I hope I didn't take too much from the actual show episodes since we've already seen them, but I didn't really want to change much from what happened in the beginning.

Oh yeah, so, I guess she will be pregnant, yay. But not yet. Or maybe she already is. Who knows? *attempt at being cryptic*

 **OMG!** I read some of the previous chapters and whole chunks of phrases are missing! **WTH?** So, I've been also trying to edit those... got to chapter 8 I think. Whop!

I feel like there was more to say, but I'm just really annoyed at this chapter and want t get it over with :)))

Might post the next chapter over the weekend, I have a part of it already done. **So, you curious to see what Vivian's been up to?**


	17. Ebony Hearts

So, just never trust me when I say I will post something soon, cause I procrastinate a lot. A LOT!

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~ We've got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen ~

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What if she had gone with him that day at the trading post? He had began to take her to different ones, teaching her what to say and what not to, the hours to go and explaining how the whole trade process worked. It fascinated Vivian; she asked more and more to accompany him and Roan agreed, some times more reluctantly than others. Apparently not all trading post owners were nice hones people. What a shocker. But most were nice enough, though she suspected Roan was deliberately taking her to 'safe' places. She was pretty sure the grounder woman that stood a head shorted than her could still kill her before she even knew what happened. But she didn't go with him _that_ day, she had been too tired from hunting and they hadn't slept much before that either. So she stayed behind, preparing the fire and resting her tired muscles.

And she waited.

And waited and the day turned to night and she fell asleep and when she woke up Roan was still not there. She thought that maybe he hadn't woken her, it wouldn't have been the first time he'd let her oversleep. But there was no sign that anyone had even passed by, no food, no weapons, no Roan and the sun was coming up on the horizon. She stood in the front of the ladder for a long moment, mind completely blank, before questions flooded her and panic surged.

Was Roan alright? Had something happened to him?

Her breathing picked up as she gathered her knives and swords, barely remembering to pack some water too. She was outside the building in a matter of minutes. Then she stopped. Where even was she going? It was ridiculous. She should wait a little longer, he probably had to wait the night somewhere. There was no more killing fog, but the forest was still filled with countless dangers.

So Vivian waited some more.

By the time the sun had set for the second time she was pale with worry. Her fingers kept twitching nervously no matter how many times she tried to control it. But what could she do, where could she look? Surely he was fine. What could harm a man like Roan? He was a unstoppable, a force of nature; you couldn't kill a raging storm. But if he has indeed in no distress... _where was he?_

She paced the entire night, staring long and hard into he darkness, trying to picture him coming out of the tree line. He'd lift an eyebrow when he'd see her panic and laugh it off, saying she was silly and asking if he trusted him so little. But there was no sign of the grounder anywhere, no matter how many scenarios ran through her head. Tears burned behind her eyes, but she would no cry. Crying meant something bad happened and Roan was definitely alive and well and there was no chance in hell that he just upped and left her.

Was there?

She swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking the tears back. She would not cry! But as time passed and day came again with no news of the grounder, her grounder, she fell into despair. As endless possibilities were filtered in her mind, from gruesome deaths to alluring women beckoning him go join them inside, a sad realization came over her. She wished he just left. She'd rather him be in the bed of another woman than dead in ditch, she'd prefer some plumps lips were on his throat rather than the teeth of a vicious animal ripping through it. Maybe just so could kill him herself.

Sadness turned to anger in the blink of an eye and her whole body shuck with the force of it. _That bastard!_ She'd given him her heart, her trust. She ate all the sweet words right from his palm like a good little sky girl. _Evil son of a bitch!_ He just left one day and never came back? Who does that? He could have implied something, left a note. He could have been cold towards her before he left, not kiss her and whisper in her ear what he'd do to her when he returned, poisoning her mind like a silver-tongues serpent that he was. Or he could have came back in the dead of nigh and take his stuff, if not his clothes and the few trinkets he owned then at least that spear he loved so much and never let her train with.

He could have done something. Anything!

In a blind fury she stormed to the corner where the blasted spear was, her knuckles turning white from the force she gripped it with. She swung it hard, as hard as she could, against the wall and when it didn't break she hit it again. And again. The wall had cracks running all over it, but the spear was still in one piece. At some point tears flooded her eyes and she fell to her knees. Wet drops marked the ground between her knees. With blurry vision she regarded the stupid weapon. It was slightly blunted in one part and new scratches marred the blade, but it held strong. Did Roan care for it as little as he did for her? Or was he truly dead somewhere?

She wept for the better part of the morning, curled on the cot, hugging the hard staff of the spear. Once the tears started running down her cheeks it seemed they would never stop. But even in her miserable state, she still imagined he would show up in that very moment and apologize for being late, for making her worry. When he didn't show up, she cried some more, the air harder to breath in with with each hiccup.

What if she had gone with him? Could she have prevented this, could she have been of any help? Maybe he would have abandoned her in the woods, or at the trading post, but abandon her nevertheless. Or they would have came back together and she'd be in his arms right now, no alone hugging a piece of metal. And if he was indeed dead, she'd be dead with him, but at least she would _know_. Or maybe death came with the sweet relief of not needing to know. Either way, she wouldn't have been so lost. But she was very much alive and she had to do something or risk loosing her freaking mind.

So she swallowed back the tears and got up from the cot. She cleaned herself up, plated her hair in a simple braid, dressed for the road and ate some long forgotten dried meat. She swung the holster for the spear over her back and set the weapon on it, but took it off immediately. It was a long piece that hung awkwardly from her smaller frame, the weight and balance of it foreign. If she needed to make a run for it, it would slow her down considerably. So the backpack took the place of the spear, swords on her belt, knifes in her boots and one strapped to her thigh. She unpacked her handgun, checked the mag and holstered it behind a sword, hoping the knee-long coat she had would cover it well. She picked up the spear in both hands and took a last look around the room. She told herself she would come back for the rest of her things, but she had a mission to accomplish first.

She had a grounder to find and she would not stop until she had an answer. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned_ and all that.

The new purpose helped calm her mind, even if grim thoughts would occasionally break in through he cracks of her attempted composure. There were four trading posts that Roan had showed her, all fairy close to the building they inhabited, but pretty far from one another. She decided to take them in the order that she was introduced to them, since she knew the owners best and they were the the closest.

Her resolve faltered with every step. She was on her own for he first time. Truly and utterly alone; there would be no valiant grounder to save her, no friend to mourn her death. Yet she strode forward,

The first one she visited was closed. She circled the building a few times, knocked on several windows and peered in through them, but saw no sigh on anybody. Her mission was proving to be harder than she had originally expected. In truth, she thought she'd find her damn missing grounder by then, still hoped she'd somehow meet him on the way as he was making his way back to her. Vivian was a bit of a dreamer, but reality sure was a bitch.

At least nothing was attacking her. She was somewhat proud of herself, out in he wilderness, alone, and only half scared to death of every rustling leaf. She had gotten so used to having Roan there to save her hat she forgot she could very well do things on her own. A few arrows released here and there and she even bagged some squirrels and a rabbit; after two days of not eating much she was looking forward to an extended dinner. She could exchange some things at the next trading post and maybe even spend the night there.

But when did things go exactly as you plan them?

The second trading post was buzzing with activity, grounders coming and going. It was a peculiar sight, as Vivian never saw more than two - three customers at a tie. But the thing that struck her a even more odd was that they didn't appear to be taking anything inside, just taking out. Some arguments could be heard inside and two massive men broke into fight outside, making her reconsider if she should approach further. She stood a few paces away, not hiding, but not moving any closer either. She was surprised when a voice sounded right behind her.

 _"Are you not going in?"_ It was boy, towering over Vivian despite being some good years younger. He was dragging a cart behind him and of course it was empty. It took her a few moments to gather her words in his language, hoping it didn't sound too foreign on her lips.

 _"What is happening here?"_

 _"You didn't hear? Trading post owners were found dead. Everybody is helping themselves out, so if you want anything of value you should hurry."_ He made a gesture with his hand, beckoning her to follow. She didn't. She wasn't entirely sure she got all his words right, but she understood enough. The owners were gone and the people were raiding the building. There was nothing of interest for her there; you can't ask the dead for information. She turned and left, heading towards another location. She found the same thing there and again at the forth. There was one last place her her to check and she wasn't particularly happy to go alone to the old hag. She was probably dead anyway and the thought made her even less willing to go all that way for nothing. So she made her way back to her once home.

She saw the building from between the trees and she knew he wasn't there. She climbed the rope ladder and stared around in silence. She'd been gone only a day, but she felt like she was intruding in someone else's home. She moved through the room upstairs, everything looking familiar, yet strange, a thin layer of dust already setting over the life she once had there. Had it really been only a few days since they were cuddled up on the roof, Roan's hands tracing circles on her arm as she told him about the stars and how far away they actually were? Had it it been just that week that he was whispering sweet nothings in her ear every morning, telling her he could no longer remember how life was before her? What a load of crap! And she'd been fool enough to listen.

But she was no about to crumble. She was strong enough to go on after Chloe died, she could get ten times easier over some lecherous man abandoning her. She was more than Roan's little sky girl, she was her own person, capable of dealing with life on her own. So she did just that, lived, as if nothing ever happened, as if Roan never left, as if there were no Roan to begin with. It lasted about half a day, just as the sun set and she went to bed and _something_ was missing. Tears flooded her eyes in an instant. What was she thinking? She curled in the rumpled cot, hiding under the blanket, snuffing her sobs in the soft material.

She fell into a haunting sleep, nightmares plaguing her all night, of reapers and malformed animals stalking her or Roan, of flesh being torn apart from bone, of sizzling skin on fire and of screams that she might have heard before, when the Ark was speeding towards Earth, crashing.

Warm light woke her the next day and she spend a few hours staring at the ceiling, following the web of cracks in it. She had no idea what to do, where to go next. Roan had been missing for over three days. She had looked for him, what more could she do? Should she try and let him go, move on? She could go back to her people, help with whatever they were doing those days. Roan had always said she belonged there, but she though, in those last months, that they belonged together.

She got out of bed some time around noon and decided she should leave. She didn't know where to exactly, but staying there, alone, was not an option. She got dressed, weapons hidden all over, backpack full of stuff she needed or liked. Whatever the outcome, she would not come back to that place. It was something of the past that was only pulling her down the dark tunnel of depression. She thought it would be harder to leave a place where she had such fond memories, but once out of the building she didn't look back once. Bygones be bygones!

She didn't go straight to Arkadia, she couldn't. There was one last place where she could look before she could say with a clear consciousness that she had looked for him everywhere she could think of - the old hag's Trading Post. She took a long way there, passing by some places she used to hunt with Roan and checking some old traps they had set. She took her time, telling herself she was being thorough, when in truth she just didn't want to go to the old woman. She unnerved Vivian.

But she soon ran out of places to go and strolled through the forest until she was standing at the front door. At least there were no looters and from the closed doors and windows none had passed by either. It was a good thing since she was planning on spending the night there. The sun was setting, the forest already getting an unwelcoming feeling; no way she was going back out there. She could make it out there alone. Probably. But there was no reason to risk it, was there? It was not like she could find Roan in the dark.

She knocked a few times on the massive door, already wondering how to force it open. With all he death surrounding the trading posts, Vivian doubter the old crone stood around to wait for her end. She was either dead or long gone. She circled the building once, but found no open windows, all of the blinds shut tight. She could see nothing inside, no light coming through, no sigh of anyone inside. How the hell was she supposed to get inside? What would Roan do? She could hardly compare her strength to his, but she picked a sword and tried prying the lock off, slamming the blade between the door and the wall. She was concentrating on not letting the hilt slip out of her hands and into her ribs as she was applying pressure with all her body, when the door flung open. The sound of the bolts on the other side startled her and she was pushed backwards, falling on her butt. A sharp blade was at her throat before she could figure out what was going on.

"Oh, it's just you." The hag drew her sword back and looked around with sharp eyes. "Where's your keeper, little girl?"

"I am not a little girl!" Vivian got to her feet, flustered, embarrassed for some reason, though she didn't know if it was for being taken down by an old woman or for being seen as a little girl who lost her protector. She dusted her clothes, tears already blurring her vision. Why was she so weak? She was about to turn and leave when the old woman sighed.

"Come on inside, it's getting dark out there." Vivian took a look back at the dark threatening forest. She swallowed hard, put her pride aside and followed the woman. "Lock the door behind you." She let her weapons down and did as told, a little too focused on the motions of closing the latches. She took a long breath, trying to calm her nerves, before turning around and walking towards the crone. She was behind a counter, scooping food into a plate with long, bonny fingers. Long white hair was neatly plated in a crown around her head, her skin wrinkled like old leather. There was a lingering every time she moved, like it strained her muscles to even lift the plate, but Vivian thought most of it was an act. Sure, the woman was old and saggy, but her back was straight and those cold grey eyes were sharp and never left Vivian. She felt so small and vulnerable under the scrutinizing stare, like the old woman could read things about her with just a look, things Vivian herself might not know. "Eat."

The plate was shoved on a long table, the hag taking a seat just a few feet apart. Vivian wanted to decline, but the smell of food reached her and once again she chose to let pride slide; it didn't keep her alive. She bit her lip and walked slowly towards her seat. She _tried_ to eat with calm. It lasted for about two bites before she dug in, all manners forgotten. The woman just stared at her, her gaze moving only once to the discarded spear and swords by the door. When Vivian finished her food and let out a satisfied sigh the old woman shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose as if annoyed. For a moment, Vivian thought he was going to be thrown out into the cold, unwelcoming forest.

"There's a room behind that curtain that you can use. Just for the night." To say it took her by surprise was an understatement. This old, cranky woman, who was always throwing unkind words at them when they came to trade, who commented on the stray sky girl Roan was keeping around, who told her more than once to go back to her people before she got killed, was letting her into her home.

"Thank you." She let her head down and played with the helm of her shirt. This stranger was helping her out of pity. She felt so alone and lost. So utterly useless. What would Chloe say if he saw her now?

"So, how come he isn't trailing you like your shadow?"

"He... I don't know where he is."

"Ah, I see." There was something in the way she said it, with no surprise, no curiosity as to what had happened.

"Have you, by chance, seen him around? He left a few days ago and I haven't seen him since."

"He didn't come by here."

"Oh. I was hoping..." Vivian nodded and let her head back down, eyes cast on her lap. The thought of him dead was cementing into her head and the tears were burning behind her eyes, treating to burst out like water fountains. Was he truly dead? Was she never going to see him again?

"Don't start crying like a baby! He ain't dead." The tears fell nevertheless, thin endless rivers down her cheeks, but she suppressed the sobs. She tried to wipe them off quickly with her sleeves.

"How do you know? I've been searching for him without rest and haven't seen a trace."

"Bah, he's harder to kill than you think." The old woman made an angry gesture with her hand, dispelling the idea as if it were smoke, and got op to her feet with a well rehearsed little limp in her first steps. "Get some sleep."

Vivian watched after her as she climbed she stairs painfully slow, wondering if there was something more the old hag wasn't telling her. But her belly was full and her eyes were getting heavy, days of wandering around the forest taking their toll on her body. Her mind was slow, her thoughts muddy. Sleep didn't sound so bad. She didn't look around the small room much, just spotting the cot and noting it had no windows and only one exit. She knew she should asses more, but the sheets were fresh and soft and welcomed her to sleep. The last thing she remembered was taking her boots off.

She was woken by the rustling from the other room. It felt as is she had only closed her eyes for a moment, but she could see light coming from beyond her curtain. Sighing, she go up and pushed it aside. The crone was skinning an animal Vivian could not exactly pin; maybe a small bear? She hadn't seen any in the forest, but she knew the animal from one of her books.

"Do you need help with anything?"

"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I need help."

"I, um, only meant as payment. For the food, for letting me stay the night."

"No need. You should just go." Well, she was a pleasure to talk to, jus as always.

"Sure, I will leave you to it then." Vivian collected her backpack and hew weapons and turned towards the door. She yelped, scared half to death by the old woman standing right behind her. She looked at Vivian with that same intense gaze, her face wrinkled in an permanent scowl. Bonny fingers gripped her chin and lifted it. The words were in the Trigedasleng she was not entirely familiar with, but the woman spoke slow and bold.

 _"Wherever your path may lead you, keep your head held high. Stop defining yourself as someone's else and be your own."_ Vivian furrowed her brows. What was this crazy hag talking about? She answered in her own language, her voice betraying her frustration at the whole situation and at the woman's cryptic advice.

"Be my own? Am I not already?"

"You are scouring the earth in search for a man that for all you know might be dead. Of might have left you. Can you not live without him?"

"Of course I _can_. But I don't want to. I... I need to find out what happened!" She wanted to say she loved him, but had a feeling that the old woman would just laugh a her, tell her 'love' was silly and passing.

"Foolish, youngling." The cold fingers retreated from her skin, the woman's eyes softening for the first time. It unsettled Vivian even more than the angry stare. "Go to Polis, you might find your answers there. Though I doubt it will be what a little girl like yourself is looking for."

"What is that suppose to mean? You know something about-"

"It is not my story to tell. Go now! But remember, chin up; _they can smell the fear on you._ " She had a creepy smile on her battered face, making a chill run through Vivian's spine. The woman was nuts! She hugged the spear close to her chest and made her way towards the door. She shouted a 'thank you', looking back only to see the hag crouched back over the animal she was skinning before, long skinny fingers working on the pelt with the dexterity of someone 50 years younger. Vivian checked her chin for blood instinctively and was relieved to find none.

She ran for a while in the general direction she thought might lead to Polis from what Roan had told her about the place. She knew it was the biggest grounder city and the building there was supposed to stretch for miles towards the sky. But the old woman's words kept replaying in her head. Dread was washing over her in new waves. What was going on in Polis? Who could smell fer fear? She was so lost in thought she didn't even hear the car approaching until it pulled over right next to her. She was beyond startled, but she hoped she masked it well.

"Vivian? What are you doing here?" Octavia flanked her on the other side, pulling the reigns of her horse close. This was good, she needed to be around other people, she had to build those bridges back in case she wouldn't find Roan in Polis. But as that thought occurred, she felt like she had already lost all hope, like she was plotting to go back to her people without even hearing him out. Her reply came out guarded and skittish, still unsure of what to do.

"Um, walking?" There was a long pause, Vivian looking innocently at the girl and Octavia exchanging glances with the people from the rover. She was about to make an excuse and go another way when someone laughed in the vehicle.

"I like her. Can we keep her?" A boy poked his head out the window to get a better look at her. Something was wrong with that boy, and whatever it was it make Vivian not want to comment at his words, not play into his little game. He didn't look dangerous or anything, but he was definitely trouble. Nevertheless, the young man driving shut him up, saving Vivian the embarrassment.

"Jasper, knock it off!" He sent a glare his way then returned to her. "O. told me abut you... You can come with us if you want." She assumed he was Octavia's brother, Bellamy or something like that. Vivian remembered him vaguely from the Ark, but the Earth air seemed to be agreeing with him; unruly hair fitted him better and he was finally out that janitor uniform. What happened to the Blakes was unfair, but then again it wasn't uncommon on the Ark. At least no one will ban people from having kids anymore on the ground.

"Where to? Arkadia is the other way, right?" They were heading the same direction as she was. And her poor feet knew she could use a ride, even if it was only for a little while. She could catch a ride with them. Only for a bit. And maybe they could point her to the grounder capital city.  
"We've got a signal coming from a little further south. We're checking it, then going back to camp. Won't take long." Should she go? It was not like she had a plan, a place to stay for the night or food. She could leave there anytime she wanted, like the very next day. Maybe she could take a car all the way to Polis. Octavia's brother seemed nice enough, maybe he could help since she didn't know how to drive. Or she could ask Octavia herself for some riding lessons, she never got Roan to teach her that... Before she could figure out what to do Octavia spoke, pulling the horse a little closer.

"Come on, Vi. Put your spear in the back and hop up here with me."

"O-ok, i guess. Thanks." She handed the spear to a young Asian man that came out of the car. He smiled at her politely and nodded, securing the spear on the back of the car.

She took Octavia's outstretched hand and she was on the horse in a matter of seconds. Before they took off she looked back at the car, really looked this time and noted all the people inside. She recognized the girl, she had been in Arkadia the last time Vivian was there, making bullets or something, before Mount Weather was blown up. Next to her was Bellamy. There was the creepy guy, Jasper, if she heard correctly. There was the guy who took her spear and another, but Vivian didn't really recognized any of the two. They seemed pretty geared up for a scouting mission, and though Bellamy had been a guard, the rest were fairly young, probably part of the Delinquents that came to Earth first. What a curious little group they had going.

"Why were you out here alone?" Octavia spared her only a glance, before moving her eyes forward to see where to lead the horse. Vivian answered as her own eyes followed the car.

"I... lost my grounder." She chuckled a little, trying to mask her sheer desperation with amusement. It left like she was describing the loss of a pet. One that ran away from home. In a way, it was fitting, though Roan would probably not appreciate the comparison.

"You lost him?"

"He may have gone out for a little while and never came back. And I was out looking. Hey, do you know anything about the trading posts? Some of the owners have been killed."

"Ah, yeah, I've heard about that. Someone else is most likely looking for Clarke as well." Vivian cringed a little. She never really liked the girl, not before she had been imprisoned and not after she got to the ground. In the few days that she actually spent in camp, even if Abby and Kane were warring over the Chancellor title, it felt like the Clarke was running the show. And what could go wrong when you're led by a girl that's been locked up for a good part of her life? There had to be someone with more experience to lead and strive for peace with the grounders, right?

"You got to be a little more specific about that. Clarke? Isn't she in Arkadia? Why would anyone be killing to get to her? "

"You don't know? Tondc was burned down, hit with missiles."

"I've heard about that. But what's it got to do with Clarke?"  
"She was the one who ordered it." Of corse she had been in the center of it all. And not only that, but she had also been responsible for a massacre. Who died and gave that girl so much power over the lives of so many? She wanted to ask more questions, but it was hard enough to wrap her mind around the irresponsibly of her people. Octavia continued, probably taking her silence as confusion. "She did it to get the Commander and the grounders to attack Mount Weather. She killed our own people, and the Commander's, just to get her way."

"I sense you don't hold much love for her."

"She's been doing this since we landed, acting like a Chancellor, making decisions for all of us. I didn't crash on the fucking ground to feel trapped like on the Ark all over again."

"I know what you mean. I felt trapped in Arkadia too when I first got there."

"It was understandable when we first got here. Imagine some 100 teenagers, free from the Ark, suddenly facing deadly fogs and wild animals and other _people_ trying o kill us; it had been chaos." The girl took a long breath, shaken a little by the memories. "If it wasn't for Clarke we probably wouldn't have made it. At least not so many of us. I am grateful for that, but lately it seems it all went to her head."

"So, after Tondc she left? And the grounders found out what she did and are after her... for revenge? _Jus drein jus daun_ and all that?"

"Not really sure. But she did make the Commander look bad, killing her people and manipulating her into taking out the mountain men."

"Seems like I've missed quite a few interesting things."

"I bet you had plenty to do, I see you're catching up on Trigedaslen."

"Yeah, Roan taught me a little..." It was funny really, how she was both encouraged and discouraged by the crone at the trading pos. On one hand, she brought hope back, Roan could be in Polis. On the other, she scared Vivian; did she really want to go there and face the truth of Roan's disappearance?

"I'm sure you'll find him, Vi."

"Yeah, I hope so." Her eyes were tearing, but she'd be dammed if she started crying right behind Octavia.

"You know he came looking for you, that night in Tondc? She nodded before realizing he other girl couldn't see since her eyes were on the car ahead of them.

"Uh, he told me, yeah."

"It's obvious he cares for you, he's going to show up. Lincoln would disappear for days sometimes too. Don't worry so much." Vivian dumped her dark thoughts and tried hard to think of a topic changer, for she was close to loosing her shit if she kept wondering what was waiting for her in Polis.

"How's Lincoln doing?" She remembered the girl said he was being treated from the drug that had temporarily turned him into a reaper. A cold shiver ran down her back as she remembered the first and last time she encountered those monsters.

"He's great, made a full recovery. He gave me a little bullshit about still being dangerous for me to be around him, but I beat it out of him." The joy in Octavia's voice was almost palpable. Vivian was happy for her, she seemed genuinely happy. She had been happy too, before Roan was gone without a trace.

The rover stopped and its passengers all got out by the time their horse caught up. They had to go on foot the rest of the way. Vivian held back, watching the people interact. She wanted to feel like a part of the group, she really did, but just didn't feel it. She remembered the hurt in Roan's voice when he spoke of his home and felt a little guilty; she didn't feel that longing. No for the place anyway. The Ark had been her home because of Chloe, there was nothing else tying her to the 'Sky people' besides the fact that they were born in space.

The people around her were on their guard, guns ready, the mere mention of the Ice nations scaring them. But not Vivian. No, she was curious. She peaked from behind, watching the riders came, fascinated by their ghostly appearance. Had Roan wore white war pain just like that? But as she was busy analyzing them, Jasper moved from the group, catching the attention to everyone present. Weapons were drawn, each group pointing at the other, but Jasper just walked straight up the first Ice Nation warrior and took the little beacon. He was pulled back and shouts were throws from both sides. Vivian pulled her swords out just in case, thou she doubted the grounders stood a chance against so many guns. When the blade was pressed against Jasper's throat and he laughed it became obvious to Vivian what his problem was: he had a death wish. She didn't know what had brought him to that point, but the boy clearly had no desire to preserve his life.

What followed was not really a fight. Shots were fired, Bellamy shouted for them to stop but it was too late. The Ice Nation warriors were dead in a couple of seconds. They killed them. Just like that. What would Roan think if he showed up right then and saw her with the group that killed his people? She didn't knew much about the Coalition and the apparent peace that followed Mount Weather, but she was pretty confident that killing Azgeda warriors on their lands, with guns, was not going to help Skaikru integrate. They were arguing between them when Vivian made her way to Octavia.

"Hey, so, I'll be an my way then-"

"You're leaving? Thought you were coming back with us."

"Nah, I'm heading towards Polis." She looked around a second before, a small smile spreading on her lips. "I'd appreciate it if you pointed me in the right direction though." The other girl chucked and shook her head.

"Some of us are going to Polis tomorrow, you can catch a ride with them. I'm sure Kane and Abby wouldn't mind."

"Thanks, but-"

"No buts. By the time you get there on foot the delegation will arrive by car. You'll only be wasting your energy."

"Fine. But will it really be alright for me to go with them?"

"Why wouldn't it? You're family." She placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled. Vivian tried to mirror it, but was pretty sure her face came out a little weird. 'Family' was not really a word she used to describe the people from the Ark. The orphans had been close to family. Chloe had been family. Her mind wandered to Roan, but her head started spinning. There were just too many questions surrounding the grounder.

They made their way back to Arkadia, Vivian strapped in a back seat of the drive was silent, the killing of the Ice Nation warriors a heavy burden on their shoulders. She guessed it was a good thing she hadn't mentioned to anyone that the person she was so hell-bent on finding was Azgeda too. Maybe she should just keep that little bit on information to herself. At least until she figured out where exactly he was and what he was up to.

"I know you from somewhere."

"Well, I worked in the Archives back on the Ark." It had been boring work. She was tasked with both the physical and the cybernetic documents. She'd keep track of who asked for what and for what purpose, but most of the time it had been Chancellor Jaha or members of the Council. No one else really cared abut dusty old files from the past. But she had access to the all the books too and most of her time was spent reading.

"Oh, that's right. You look a lot... fiercer than I remember." It made Vivian smile. Kane was easier to speak to than she had remembered. Was it possible that his time on Earth had changed him? Perhaps seeing the place his mother spoke with such fondness had sparked something in the man.

"Like Octavia here, I've been working quite hard."

"You're been training with someone? Who?"

"Oh, just a grounder I met... I'm actually looking for him. He kinda disappeared on me. Was hoping to hitch a ride to Polis with you tomorrow." She changed the topic not so subtly, but Kane didn't snoop more. He seemed to consider something for a moment, taking her in from head to toe and nodding.

"I think it will be good to have you to there."

"I... I just want to get in the city and-"

"Yes, you'll have plenty of time to search for your missing friend. But you could also prove an asset for the negotiation. You know the grounders, seen them up Close. You speak their language. And if you can use those swords it's even better, they seem to appreciate when we use their weapons instead of our guns. It will be a sign of our willingness to cooperate and learn from one another. Besides, Abby had only good things to say about you." He seemed a little too eager. And what the hell did the good doctor have to say about her at all? Sure she's been her patient a couple of times and she might have opened up a bit to her since she was always smiling and asking the questions as if she really cared. Damn doctors and their kind facades! But it was hardly anything substantial, mostly about the orphans and how the floating was leaving more and more kinds parentless. "You can come with us either way, but I'd appreciate it if you'd join us for the meeting too. We have to take all measures to preserve this frail peace."

"I'll think about it." He smiled and told her to be up by the gates at sunrise. Like hell she was going to the stupid meeting! What had she gotten herself into? She didn't want to take part in the decision making process. Even if her role would be purely decorative - a Skaikru turned almost grounder - she could already feel the burden in her. What if she messed things up? Insult someone without meaning to? What if, because she would be inappropriate in some way, the whole peace would end. Her head hurt from all the responsibility; she hated it. Better make sure she didn't get dragged into the mess.

She made her way to he room the shared with Chloe and was not entirely surprised when she found it had been occupied. The woman inside insisted she could sleep on the other bed since her roommate was on patrol, but Vivian declined. It felt wrong to intrude on their room like that, and even worse to share the space with someone other than Chloe. She wasn't even sleepy anyway.

She went on the wall that surrounded camp and stared into the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of something and perhaps of that something to be Roan. She realized, that if she did not find him the next day, dead or alive, she would forever look for his face into the distance, into crows, into the forest. Always and forever, she'd wonder were he was and how much longer he would make her wait for him. The hope that she would see him again was going to die only when she took her last breath. She had to find him, fast, because that was not a life she wanted to live, not a life that would honor the promise she made Chloe. She would go to Polis in the morning, look for him there, ask if anyone had seen him. If he wasn't there, she would not waste much time with the negotiations, Abby and Kane would do just fine.

Vivian could hardly contain her emotions when day came. She could hardly concentrate on the stories Kane was spinning about the grounders and about their objectives in the negotiation with the Commander. Instead, she was worried beyond reason. Would she finally hind him? Would he come back with her? Back where? On top of her scattered mind and building anxiety, her head and neck ached from sleeping in an awkward position on a bed in the med bay. The restless night before had been as filled with unanswered questions as the day was proving to be.

It also didn't help when Polis turned out to be exactly what those ridiculous stories portrayed: a big prosperous city with a massive building that stretched higher than she ever imagined possible. It was even more breathtaking than the tales; nothing had prepared her for actually seeing it with her own eyes. She looked up at the building; it had to be more than 30 stories high. How was that thing even still standing? There were people on the balconies, so small they looked like busy ants. That's what all the people down on the ground would look from up there too. She felt nauseous only thinking about it. Finding her grounder was going to be harder than she thought.

What she didn't know was that Roan was on one of those balconies, looking intently into the horizon.

* * *

 **OK** , I wanted to say something, but now that I got to the end I forgot...

Oh well, hope this isn't all over the place... it ended up longer than expected...

Also changed a few things... Like meeting Indra [never happened, they already knew Clarke was Wanheda] cause the chapter would have been even longer ...

 **I should probably spell check this...**

Ah, I have sooooooo many possibilities for their reunion *thinking* Angry slapping, Romeo and Juliet balcony moment, Angry kidnapping, Him seeing her first, she seeing him with his queen o be [ cause i think I mentioned in one of the first chapters that he has an intended, promised to him young *he he* She gonna play a little role in the future, thinking of naming her Syn, or Sol or some other 3 letter name :))]

I just don't know which to pick :)) Gonna write them on little papers and pick one :))

 **What would you guys like? Lovey dovey cute moment? Drama and suspense? Tears and accusations? Murder on the negotiation floor?**


	18. Charcoal Souls

Oh god, I'm so sorry for taking so long with this chapter.

Also, probably needed another spellcheck...

 _Hope you enjoy!_

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~ Sometimes, home has a heartbeat. ~

* * *

"Where are you so eager to go? Your mother will be here shortly."  
"Maybe I don't want to be here when she arrives." Roan had been banging on the doors and bribing guards from the second he got locked in the room. He was no guest, far from it. After hours of waiting and promising riches from Azgeda to the young man posted at his door, he finally agreed to send word to the Commander. He had to get back to Vivian before his Queen came and took control of every aspect of his life. When the Commander finally showed her face the next day, he was a bit surprised; he expected to be ignored for quite a while, just to taunt him. "I just need a horse. I'll be back tomorrow to deal with mother." The word still stung, even if his banishment was almost over. The Commander sighed and gestured for her guards to leave the room.

"Look Roan, I want us to work together. I know you have your people's best interest at heart, but I can't just let you go if you don't tell me where you're going and what you're planning. And even then you wouldn't leave on your own." His eyes sharpened as he followed her moves. He understood she was in a fragile position herself, but she was a leader, The fucking Commander. Should he tell her his motives? Could he trust her after everything? He wanted to, he needed to believe he could have her as an ally in the war he was about to start with his mother whe she'd find out about Vivian. But something inside him told him to keep the details to himself. She was a ruler after all, she wold use any information she had to get what she wanted. The last thing Roan wished was for his sweet sky girl to be stuck in this game for power.

"I left someone behind." The Commander was clearly taken aback. It took her a few moments to sort his words out, her brows furrowing. She didn't seem to quite believe him.

"It can wait. We're on the brink of war. With your people. You need to focus on that." She turned to leave. His hand reached and took hold of her wrist before he could think of the consequences. But he couldn't let her leave, not yet. Angry eyes turned to him, daring him to do more. But he had nothing to say to convince her, nothing to bargain, to give in exchange. She already knew he believed in the unity of the tribes, already knew he was not too fond of his mother. His eyes darted to the floor between them, his tongue passing over his lover lip before he spoke.

"I _need_ to get her back."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have left her in the first place!" It was a slap across the face, her eyes boring into him like daggers. and he wold have retaliated, weren't it true.

"Please!" It was not begging, Te heir of Azgeda did not stoop so low. It was a request, from leader to leader. At least that's what he told himself. He was met with only silence. He wished he would have looked her in the eyes, try to convey the desperation he was pushing back, the guilt of leaving, the madness brought by the uncertainty of her whereabouts. Would Vivian even still be there? He had to know, had to try to get a second chance. When he finally lifted his eyes to The Commander he saw the different responses forming on her lips. She could make fun of him, laugh at the once heartless prince. She could deny him out of pure spite, or hold his plea as leverage. She could send riders to ask around, find out who had he been spending his time with. Roan cursed in his head for leaving the old crone alive; she could give Vivian away. There was a knock on the door and Lexa pulled her arm free, her expression hardening. He felt his heart drop, but he didn't lose hope. He'd get out of there with or without her blessing.

"We'll talk about this after the meeting. You should come too, Azgeda needs its prince." His first instinct was to fight against going to the stupid meeting. Whatever her plan was, whatever she wanted him to agree on behalf of Azgeda would be undone by the Queen the next day. It was pointless and he was wasting time. But he had already wasted 6 days, what were a few hours more?

"Fine. But I have to leave today. It's already been too long..." She nodded and left, instructing him to join his delegation in the throne room. As the doors shut behind her, he let himself fall on the bed, elbows resting on his knees. He had no idea what he was doing. He was prince once more, after three long years of being nothing but a rouge, a wanderer. And after about half a year of watching over the sky girl, of teasing and playing house. Of falling in love harder than he thought possible. But he had to figure things out. Fast. He needed a plan for his mother, else he'd only get Vivian back to have her killed at the Queen's hands. He couldn't have that. He mustered the strength to endure a tedious meeting, brushing his hand through his tangled hair and tried the door. As it opened he was greeted by two of his own soldiers who bowed and flanked him as the strode the hall.

There were a number of things going through his head right before the throne room's door's were opened for him, ranging from ways to gain back the trust of his people, to hopes that perhaps his mother would not stand between him and his love. But most of all he was plotting on how to escape Polis. His eyes scoured left and right, taking note to the increased number of guards, his chances dwindling with each soldier studying him as he passed. He gritted his teeth as realization struck him - he was not going to make it ten levels down. He entered the throne room as his name was announced, eyes fixed on Lexa, burning with anger that so much depended on her word.

He could have caught a glimpse of her if he wasn't analysing all the weak points in the guard placement with such ardour. Her voice might have made his head turn, weren't he so distraught by the increased security in the tower. They passed each other, a few feet and a corner apart, Roan heading towards the heavy doors of the throne room and Vivian turning towards the stairs to her room.

" **Prince Roan of Azgeda**!"

The entrance of the reinstalled heir to the Ice Nation was announced loudly enough and Vivian would have heard his name weren't she so focused on task at hand - stringing grounder words together in coherent sentences.

"Very good, you're getting better with each day."

"Thanks, O. But it still doesn't come natural, I have to strain my brain to remember each word..."

"You only get that with practice, I guess."

She was thankful to Octavia and the little Sky People group that traveled to Polis - they kept her busy, gave her something else to do besides despair over Roan's whereabouts. Between practicing her grounder speech with O. and exploring the rich culture the capital had to offer, it had been the best day Vivian had since...since he never came back. She got along with everyone rather well, but the most surprising was the ex council member Kane. It was as if he were a different man altogether. There was a softness in his eyes, an innocence in the way he regarded the world around him, and Vivian wondered shortly if it hadn't been there all along, buried beneath the responsibility of his position, the pressure of the human race depending on the decision of a few. But humankind had managed without the Ark and all the madness in space and in some way it even thrived.

The girls circled back to the throne room after exploring the city some more and trying some food. It was quite remarkable how the grounders adapted after the radiation and Vivian wondered shortly if the edible foods had been discovered by trial and error or if there was some other trick to it. Cause some of them looked god dammed poisonous, yet were rather delicious. As they rounded the corner they were met with their little delegation, all with sour faces.

"What's wrong? Did the other clans not agree?"

"No, Trikru is now the thirteenth clan." Abby answered after it was clear Kane wasn't going to. The group kept walking "I'm actually surprised that went so well."

"There are still skeptics, and after Bellamy's group burst into the throne room guns blazing we aren't held in high regard, that's for sure."

"Bell is here? But why did he come?"

"They were betrayed by the Ice Nation girl, Echo. Fooled into coming here and leave Mount Weather defenseless..." Abby had to finish his thoughts, a hand planed on his arm.

"They blew up Mount Weather and everyone inside. Only Raven and Sinclair managed to get out." She turned toward Octavia with a worried look. "You should go find him." With a nod the girl left to search for her brother. Vivian remembered talk of Bellamy's girlfriend and if she remembered correctly, she had been there as well. Her heart went out to him, loosing someone you love was something she wished to no one. She prayed to whatever god there was to listen that Roan was alright wherever he might be. But something else clicked in her mind.

"How did the grounders blow up Mount Weather though? I'm guessing it's not that easy..." Kane and Abby shared a look before he answered her.

"Apparently they had the code for the self destruct. And before you ask, yes it is highly improbable that they figured it out or just stumbled upon in it."

"They had help..."

"Yes. We have to figure out from who now."

"Is the Commander going to help? Since we are one of her clans and all."

"She will do what she can, but we are not out of the woods there either. The true challenge will be tomorrow when the Ice Nation queen arrives. The prince didn't seem to have a problem with us, but power is with the queen. Lexa thinks she will challenge her and the decision for the thirteenth clan in some way. We'll have to wait and see how tomorrow unfolds."

He sighed and left with Abby to figure out what to about Mount Weather. Vivian looked for Octavia and Bellamy for a while, but didn't manage to find them or anyone she knew, so she headed to her room. It was getting late and the next day promised to bring all sorts of complications. Might as well be rested. She was both scared and intrigued to finally see the Ice Nation Queen. Scared because she knew from Roan that she was cold and ruthless. And at the same time she was a piece of his past that he talked about. He mentioned other names and some friends that had died, but she had been a constant. She was curious to see her, if only to feel closer to her lost grounder.

While Vivian was placing he head on the pillow, some six levels above her room Roan was fuming. His attempts to flee had been futile, Lexa placing him under heavy surveillance. That wretched woman figured out he was going to try and leave. His fists connected violently with the wooden table, sending a bowl flying, fruits rolling everywhere on the floor.

All was lost.

He was never going to see her again.

And he had no one to blame but himself.

He rolled in his bed all night, unable to quiet his mind. He kept seeing her face, lovely and smiling only for him and his heart broke a little more. It killed him not knowing if she was well, if she missed him at least half of how much he missed her. Day broke and he was still staring at the canopy of the bed, plotting on how to get out of the capital. Maybe once his mother was there, Lexa's focus will shift to her. He got out of bed determined to escape with the first chance he got.

It wasn't long before the haunting sound on horns announced the arrival of his queen and mother. He had half a mind not to go greet her, but decided to play along until an opening presented itself. The descent of the elevator was slow, letting Roan ponder on how was his mother going to react upon seeing him. He was convinced she already knew he was there. Descending the last steps out of the tower he wondered if it was too late to turn back. Queen Nia saw him and made her way towards him, a guarded smile on her face.

"My son." She stopped right in front of him, offered no embrace to the _son_ she hadn't seen in years, not that Roan was expecting any.

"Mother." And with that the heartfelt reunion ended, the queen acting as if her only child had been away for no more than a few days.

"Made your way back just in time. We have many things to do around here." She lifted her icy blue eyes to the tower behind him, plans already brewing in her scheming mind. She turned her head after a moment and gestured for someone to join them. "But first, you do remember Siggy, don't you? She had been extremely eager to see you again." He remembered the woman coming near them well, though he had no desire to deal with her at that moment. She was beautiful, he could not deny that, but beneath those blue eyes and skillfully applied scars was a mind as cunning as his mother's. For a second, as both women stood before him, he felt as if he was falling into some kind of trap, despite not doing much to warrant it.

"Of course I remember her, I haven't been away that long." The queen looked back at her young protegee, nodding once, then strode past them with, followed by servants and guards.

"Come see me in my room once I've settled. We have much to discuss." He went to protest, but Siggy caught his arm.

"Prince Roan, it's good to have you back." She closed the space between then, hooking her hands around his neck. "I missed you so much."

His blood boiled in his veins; he longed to hear those words, but from another's lips. Before the last inch between them disappeared, he pushed the woman off him, a little too forcefully and glared at her. He was not going to marry her and he was about to make that clear, to both Siggy and his mother. His words died on his lips though as something caught his attention. _Someone_.

There she was, as mesmerizing as he remembered, staring back at him. Alive and withing his reach. The world stopped in that moment, his anger melting into sheer relief. He moved towards her, the action so natural as if the world had suddenly tipped. He could hear Siggy saying something, but all that mattered was the sky girl before him. His sky girl. His Vivian.

The slap was more painful than he could have imagined her delicate hand could deliver.

Vivian covered her mouth, her eyes wide. She couldn't quite comprehend what she was seeing; it was as if the whole thing was not happening to her, she was just a guest, an observer. It was a scene from a trashy romance novel and Vivian herself was only the reader. It wasn't her that was being betrayed, but some other poor little sky girl. And then their eyes met. She saw the emotions washing over his face. Oh, how she missed that face! He pushed the woman aside and strode towards Vivian, smiling. The bastard had the nerve to smile at her!

She slapped him. Hard. With all the pent up anger an frustration she collected over the past days. She saw Ice nation guard coming near them, but Roan lifted his hand towards them, signaling them to stop. Her body shook, she felt like she was going to explode and she be damned if she didn't take him down with her!

"Vivian, please let-"

"What is the meaning of this? Who does this girl think she is?"

"This is my problem, you'll stay out of it."

"We have no problems. Consider me out of your hair, _Prince Roan_. But please, do forgive me for looking for you all over the forest for the past five days or so. I guess the joke is on me."

"Vi, can we talk somewhere else?" She looked him in those sky blue eyes of his and for a moment his pain seemed so real she could feel it. For a brief second she wanted to hear him out. Then she caught a glimpse of the woman who was all over him, arms crossed and glaring daggers, and her anger returned tenfold. Her gaze fell back on him before speaking, her voice calm and even, a perfect mask for the storm raging on inside her.

"Stay away from me."

* * *

 **Ok...**

I'm ending it here tho I had some more planned... I'll just add that in the next chapter.

So, this chapter is a little all over the place. I initially wrote her slapping him during the meeting. Then him slinging her over his shoulder :)) But the sky nation delegation would have freaked out...

Then I wrote her having a little breakdown... but meh, it's gonna be in the next chapter...

Then she slapped him in front of his mother... and Queen Nia would have murdered the insolent sky girl... Then I just kinda forced the queen out and it happened like that...

Hope I didn't disappoint you guys too much :(

I have a lot going on irl with work and uni and some other fanfics stuck in my head, so I haven't been 100% invested in this.

Also the show's ending sucked... that didn't help one bit.

Anyways, let me know what you think of how things turned out with their reunion ^^ *hugs*


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